Israel insisted Wednesday the US-Iran cease-fire doesn’t apply to Lebanon — as the Israeli military vowed to continue its “targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among those to deny Lebanon’s inclusion in the agreement, saying the Jewish state would forge ahead with ongoing strikes against the militant group.
“The battle in Lebanon continues,” Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee defiantly declared.
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed to have halted fire on Israeli troops in Lebanon on Wednesday as part of the two-week truce between the US and Iran.
But a lawmaker from the Iran-backed group said Israel must also adhere to the truce or it would collapse.
“The agreement includes Lebanon, according to its terms, and Iran insisted on this inclusion,” Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Al-Moussawi said.
Israel’s stance contradicted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a key intermediary in the cease-fire talks, who had said the truce would include Lebanon.
