All signs point to an imminent and all-out invasion of southern Lebanon by Israeli Defense Forces.
But U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other European and Arab leaders are demanding that Israel immediately accept a ceasefire that would last for at least 21 days.
Not once in their official statement, however, did they even mention Hezbollah, the terrorist organization in Lebanon that has already fired nearly 10,000 missiles at Israel, putting nearly one million Israelis in grave danger.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in New York City on Thursday and will address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
He immediately released a statement on X denying that he has accepted the international ceasefire dictate.
“The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him,” read the statement on his official account. “The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved.”
Some media reports suggest Biden and Macron are furious, believing that Netanyahu has agreed to their proposal.
Israeli officials say they were briefed on the plan but that Netanyahu had not formally agreed to it.
Meanwhile, two top Senate Republican leaders — Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Tom Cotton of Arkansas — sent a letter to the White House “to strongly condemn your administration’s delay in providing critical military equipment and weapons to our ally Israel in the midst of an existential war.”
Cotton then wrote on X, “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris continue to delay critical military equipment to our allies in Israel. Further delays will endanger Israeli lives, increase the likelihood that the conflict will escalate further, and harm American national security interests.”
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