Amid the US-Iran ceasefire, attacks on key Hezbollah infrastructure and personnel continue, with northern Israel still under heavy fire and dozens of launches from Lebanon on Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening that Israel would begin negotiations with the Lebanese government as the conflict continues to displace thousands and kill and injure hundreds more in Lebanon.
"Dear residents of the North, I am proud of you. You continue to stand firm. I wish to inform you: There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security," he said Thursday night.
He said that following "repeated requests from the Lebanese government to open peace negotiations", talks would take place with the goal of disarming Hezbollah and bringing peace between Lebanon and Israel.
On Friday morning, communities in Misgav Am and Metula were forced to take shelter after yet more Hezbollah rocket fire.
Overnight, Hezbollah had fired at Ashdod port, triggering sirens in central Israel.
Iran and Hezbollah claim the US-Iran truce applied to Lebanon, but US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday told reporters: "I think this comes from a legitimate misunderstanding. I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t.”
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News Thursday: “We do want to see the ceasefire extended to Lebanon.”
She said: “We’ve seen the humanitarian consequences, the huge mass displacement of people in Lebanon."
On Thursday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that since the beginning of March, over 1,400 Hezbollah operatives have been killed.
Israelis had mixed emotions Thursday as they returned to work after the Passover holiday and the announcement of a ceasefire with Iran.
Infantry soldier Nir, from Netanya, who has been doing reserve duty at various places around Israel’s borders since October 7 with little breaks in between, told the JC: “We have not even finished our targets”, saying he was “disappointed” with the announcement.
“I can’t say I’m happy. We have been pushed into this by the US when we needed to have achieved more before doing this,” he added, preparing for his next round of reserve duty.
Tomer, from Hadera, who is preparing to be drafted to Lebanon, told the JC the ceasefire “feels extremely fragile”.
"While nobody can even seem to understand what the terms of this ceasefire are, it feels it can break at any moment. Was Lebanon included, were the Gulf states included, or was it just the US?”, he said, as confusion remained.
But for others, it offered a much-needed sense of relief. Anat Cohen, from Bat Yam, has been homeschooling her four children since the outbreak of war and says she has not slept a full night since.
“The kids went back to school today and finally we can go to bed for a full night,” she told the JC, the family having run to the building’s basement shelter each night since the war broke out.
After last year’s 12-Day War, which saw over 30 people killed and massive damage across the country to the likes of civilian areas, hospitals, and military facilities, Israelis fear this is only a ceasefire until the next round of fighting.
“How long will this go on?” asked Iris Levi, a high-tech executive from Rishon Lezion. “We haven’t taken down the regime, Iran still has its military and nuclear capabilities, so once again, we are left just waiting until the next round of fighting. It’s exhausting. But for now, we have to enjoy the time we have to rest and recover.”
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