The US and France called for a 21-day temporary ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel and Iran-backed militants Hezbollah continue to exchange heavy firing, raising fear of an “all-out war”. Hezbollah said it fired a ballistic missile at the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for the first time. Meanwhile, Israel said that more than 280 Hezbollah targets were hit on Wednesday. Israel said it is “fighting a multi-front war”.
Israel–Hezbollah conflict: Here are top developments
1. According to AFP, Israel’s army chief told soldiers on Wednesday to prepare for a possible ground offensive to fight Hezbollah in Lebanon as the air force conducted hundreds of deadly strikes around the country.
“You hear the jets overhead — we have been striking all day,” General Halevi was quoted by the New York Times as telling soldiers who were conducting military exercises along the Israeli-Lebanese border. “This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah,” he reportedly said.
2. The United States, France and several allies called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border while also expressing support for a ceasefire in Gaza following intense discussions at the United Nations on Wednesday.
“We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately,” according to a joint statement of the countries released by the White House.
The ceasefire would apply to the Israel-Lebanon “Blue Line,” the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, and would allow the parties to negotiate towards a potential diplomatic resolution of the conflict, a senior Biden administration official said.
3. Lebanon and Israel were expected to decide “within hours” whether to accept, a second US official told AFP, adding: “We have had this conversation with the parties and felt this was the right moment.
4. However, Israel said it welcomed diplomacy on Lebanon but did not commit to a ceasefire. The country vowed to pursue its goal of degrading Hezbollah. “We are grateful for all those who are making a sincere effort with diplomacy to avoid escalation, to avoid a full war,” Israel’s envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
But he added, “We will use all means at our disposal, in accordance with international law, to achieve our aims.”
5. UN Secretary General António Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting that “hell is breaking loose” in Lebanon.
6. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that “all-out war” is still possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, but he’s hopeful an off-ramp can be found to prevent further bloodshed.
7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement, saying, “We are hitting Hezbollah hard until we return our residents in the north safely to their homes.”
8. The Israel Defense Forces released a video of a “UAV hitting a port in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city.” It said, “This is what we mean when we say we’re fight a multi-front war. (sic)”. The forces also explained the concept of “secondary explosions”. It said, “It’s basic. Secondary explosions occur because we are precisely targeting the munitions of Hezbollah that are aimed at killing our civilians.”
9. Amid the conflict, the Embassy of India in Beirut on Wednesday issued an advisory notice strongly advising against travelling to Lebanon till further notice following the recent incident of air strikes and blasts in communication device.
“As a reiteration of the advisory issued on 1 August 2024 and in view of the recent developments and escalations in the region, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Lebanon till further notice,” the embassy said in their notice.
10. Australia also urged an estimated 15,000 of its citizens living in Lebanon to leave, flagging a risk Beirut airport may close and the difficulty of evacuating large numbers if the situation worsens.
