Israel Resists Ceasefire Amid Escalating Conflict with Hezbollah

Israel has defied international calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, opting instead to continue its military operations. The conflict has escalated fears of a broader war, coinciding with ongoing tensions between Israel and Gaza. Despite pressures, Netanyahu's government remains firm on its stance.

Israel rejected proposals on Thursday for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, defying allies including the United States which had called for an immediate three-week halt in fighting to allow for diplomacy to avert a wider war. 'There will be no ceasefire in the north,' Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X. 'We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.'

The comments dashed hopes for a swift settlement, after Prime Minister Najib Mikati had expressed hope that a ceasefire could be reached soon in Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes seeking safety. World leaders voiced concern that the conflict - running in parallel to Israel's war in Gaza - was escalating rapidly.

The heaviest fighting in nearly two decades between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has raised fears of a new Israeli ground offensive across the Lebanese-Israeli frontier. Hezbollah has faced off against the Israeli military since the Shi'ite Muslim movement was created by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 to counter an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It has since evolved into Tehran's most powerful Middle East proxy.

(With inputs from agencies.)