Israel reiterated on Thursday its determination to target Hezbollah and called for the evacuation of the southern suburbs of Beirut following deadly strikes on the neighboring country, despite numerous calls to include Lebanon in the ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, April 9, that he had ordered his cabinet to begin “direct negotiations” with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” focusing on the disarmament of the Islamist movement Hezbollah.
“Following Lebanon’s requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday (Wednesday) to engage in direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” said Benjamin Netanyahu, as quoted by his office.
“The negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon,” he added.
More than 200 killed in Wednesday’s strikes
Despite the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, Israel, after its deadly strikes on Wednesday against Lebanon, expressed its determination to continue targeting Hezbollah.
The strikes in Lebanon on Wednesday, which resulted in more than 200 deaths, demonstrate Israel’s “failure to honor its commitments,” making negotiations meaningless, according to Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.
The Israeli army once again urged residents of several neighborhoods in southern Beirut to evacuate, warning of new strikes against the Hezbollah Islamist movement, an ally of Tehran, following the deadly bombings.
According to Hezbollah, its fighters are engaged in direct clashes with Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil, in southern Lebanon, five kilometers from the border with Israel, where the Shiite movement had expelled them in 2006 after a fierce battle.
