US and Israel at loggerheads over Lebanon peace deal
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The news: The US and Israel are at loggerheads over a ceasefire in Lebanon, with the White House insisting it coordinated a statement supporting peace with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he publicly scuppered it.
The context: On Thursday, the US led a host of western and Arab nations — including Australia — calling for a 21-day ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Netanyahu rejected the proposal upon landing in New York, declaring the assault would continue to attack Lebanese militants group Hezbollah “with full force” until his war aims are achieved.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby insisted the Israelis were looped into the statement’s drafting, and the US would not have published it if it believed Israel was not on board.
Violence between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been simmering since Hamas’ attack on October 7, but has escalated this week in particular.
Israel has pounded targets across Lebanon throughout the week, killing more than 550 people. That came after it was likely behind the booby-trapping of pagers and walkie talkies, which killed 42 people. Hezbollah has responded by launching missiles deep into Israeli territory, targeting its second largest city, Tel Aviv, this week.
Israel says its aim is to prevent the militant group firing rockets into northern Israel, where more than 60,000 civilians have been forced to flee since October. Hezbollah says its aim is to draw Israeli resources from Gaza, where its bombardments have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
What they said: “We had every reason to believe that in the drafting of [the statement] and in the delivery of it that the Israelis were fully informed and fully aware of every word in it," Kirby said.
"We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t believe that it would be received with the seriousness with which it was composed."
The sources: The Times of Israel, The ABC, The New York Times, The Age
