Prime Minister Netanyahu "No Response to Ceasefire Proposal"
Authorizes Own Forces to Bomb Hezbollah
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, dismissed international demands to halt armed clashes with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
On the 26th (local time), the Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated, "Prime Minister Netanyahu has not yet responded to the (ceasefire) proposals from the United States and France." The office also denied reports claiming that Netanyahu had ordered the military to reduce the intensity of airstrikes on Lebanon, calling them "contrary to the facts."
The Prime Minister's Office added, "Netanyahu has authorized the military to bomb Hezbollah with full force," and "the battle in the Gaza Strip will continue until all war objectives are achieved."
Earlier, foreign media such as AFP and the UK's Sky News, citing U.S. officials, reported that Israel would agree to a three-week ceasefire within hours. The previous day, Western countries including the United States and France proposed a negotiation plan at the United Nations General Assembly for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, engaging in diplomatic efforts.
Amid these developments, the Israeli military continued intense bombings targeting Hezbollah on the same day. The Israeli military announced that overnight it conducted airstrikes on about 75 Hezbollah targets, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley and southern border areas. Additionally, fighter jets bombed targets in southern Lebanon that morning.
The Israeli military emphasized, "Operations are ongoing to dismantle Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure." Hezbollah also launched 45 rockets toward northern Israel in the morning alone.
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