Conflicting Reports Emerge on Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Talks

According to sources close to negotiations taking place in New York, there is significant progress toward reaching a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, as reported by Lebanon’s MTV. Meanwhile, an Arab diplomat spoke to LBCI television, stating that the Israeli representative at the U.N. had expressed strong reservations about a U.S. ceasefire proposal and confirmed that military operations in Lebanon would continue. The same diplomat mentioned that envoys interacting with Hezbollah received ambiguous responses, with Hezbollah tying any resolution to an agreement with Hamas, who has yet to approve the proposal’s language.

Additionally, officials from the U.S., France, Qatar, and Egypt plan to meet soon to consider adjustments to the proposed ceasefire. In a joint statement, these nations, along with other international and regional allies, called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire along the Lebanon-Israel border to facilitate diplomatic efforts.

Israeli media reported that a ceasefire could take effect within hours. Despite reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military to reduce its operations in Lebanon due to the ongoing negotiations, his office later denied these claims, stating that Netanyahu had not yet responded to the ceasefire proposal.

Furthermore, Qatar clarified that the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are not directly linked to the international efforts for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, known for his firm stance, declared on social media that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire and would continue its military actions against Hezbollah “until victory” and until residents can safely return to northern Israel.