Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Najib Mikati has criticised Israel’s “expansion” of its attacks on his country, saying it indicates the Israeli rejection of a ceasefire after more than a month of war.
Mikati said in a statement, “[Israel’s] repeated threats to the population to evacuate entire cities and villages, and its renewed targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut with destructive raids, are all indicators that confirm the Israeli enemy’s rejection of all efforts being made to secure a ceasefire.”
The resumption of Israeli attacks on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut coincided with a failed attempt at diplomacy.
US envoys were in Israel on Thursday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the past, they used to come to Beirut after talks in Israel, but this time they went back to Washington.
It is a clear indication that there was no breakthrough.
Actually, a breakthrough in the talks was not an expected outcome because of Israel’s conditions.
Israel is demanding the freedom to operate even after a ceasefire, the freedom to enforce the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 to target what it sees as threats and violations by Hezbollah.
In other words, Israel does not want Hezbollah to be able to rearm or regroup. According to Hezbollah and its supporters, this condition amounts to a surrender and it is something the group will not accept.
Meanwhile, Israeli fighter jets carried out at least 10 strikes in Beirut overnight, after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for several neighbourhoods in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs.
Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli raids hit Ghobeiry, al-Kafaat, the Sayyed Hadi highway and nearby al-Mujtaba Complex, as well as the old airport road.
It added that the raids left massive destruction in the targeted areas, as dozens of buildings were levelled to the ground, in addition to the outbreak of fires.
Separately, Palestinian National Initiative leader, Mustafa Barghouti said the Israeli government is repeating in Lebanon the same war crimes it is committing in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
“Its army is targeting medical workers and journalists. They already killed 178 medics in Lebanon and bombed a convoy of ambulances in Tyre. The Israeli army recently killed three Lebanese journalists.
“In Gaza, 886 Palestinian medics were killed by the Israeli army in addition to no less than 180 Palestinian journalists.”
Mustafa Barghouti
Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deal Unlikely Before US Election
According to Akiva Eldar, an Analyst, there are no signs that Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu is either ready or willing to reach a ceasefire deal with Lebanon before the US elections.
Eldar stated that Netanyahu is praying and putting his bets on the victory of former President Trump, and “he believes that once this happens, he will be able to manipulate the President.”
He was referring to several examples from Trump’s presidency when the Israeli government was able to sway the US government towards policies that favoured it, including ending the Iran nuclear deal and vetoing a resolution that deemed Israeli settlements illegal.
“There is another deadline for Netanyahu, and this is [in] the first week of December when he will have to start testifying in his corruption trial, and he will do anything to avoid it.
“And the best excuse or pretext that he has … [is that] he is busy with multi frontier wars and he shouldn’t waste his time in court, because we’re talking about looking at four days a week for at least six weeks that he will have to spend in court.”
Akiva Eldar
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