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Hezbollah warns of ‘new escalation’ as Israeli response intensifies
A Hezbollah MP warned that Israeli airstrikes which caused widespread damage in the town of Aitaroun near the Israeli-Lebanese border on Sunday were a “new escalation,” adding that Hezbollah would continue its attacks on Israel in a statement to Reuters.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warned that the terrorist movement would respond to the “escalation” in new ways, be it “in the nature of the weapons (used) or the targeted sites.”
Lebanese media portrayed the IDF’s response to Hezbollah attacks on Sunday as a significant escalation compared to other clashes along the border in recent weeks.
On Monday morning, at least six rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel and were intercepted by the Iron Dome, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. The IDF responded to the rocket fire with artillery fire targeting several locations along the Lebanese border.Additionally, on Monday, the Lebanese Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported that a gradual escalation had been taking place in recent days, coinciding with a demand by Israel that Hezbollah withdraw to north of the Litani River in Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The Nidaa al-Watan report noted that the strike on Aitaroun was the first in which “an entire neighborhood has been destroyed in a southern town,” saying that this raised concerns that “the Gaza war model of widespread destruction…is beginning to rear its head on the Lebanese front.”
Hezbollah announced on Monday morning that two members of the movement were killed amid the intensifying clashes. Over 90 members of the terrorist movement have been killed since Hezbollah launched attacks on northern Israel on October 8.
Diplomatic efforts being pursued, military option being prepared
Last week, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the leaders of communities near the northern border that Israel was attempting to reach a diplomatic solution in which Hezbollah would retreat to the Litani River, but was also prepared to remove Hezbollah through military means from the area near the border.
On Sunday, KAN news reported that Israel was preparing to set a deadline for a diplomatic solution and that Israeli officials believe the chances of such a solution are low.
During a visit to Israeli forces along the Lebanese border on Sunday, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stressed that security needs to be restored to the northern front, adding “there is a military way to do this, the beginning of which is also what you are doing here, to strike, to deter, to kill Hezbollah operatives, to show our superiority, and it can also come in the form of an offensive and an attack and a war.”
“The State of Israel has never gone and said war is the first solution we will try, but we understand that in the situation here it should end in a very, very clear change of the situation,” added Halevi.
Ali Damush, the deputy chairman of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, rejected statements by Israeli officials saying that Hezbollah “will not allow the equations to be changed.”
On Saturday afternoon, a watchtower inside a UNIFIL position in the proximity of Ibel Qameh in southern Lebanon was hit by shelling causing damages to the structure.Fortunately, no one was injured. The origin of the fire is under investigation.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) December 10, 2023
On Sunday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that a watchtower inside a UNIFIL position near Ibel Qameh in southern Lebanon was hit by shelling on Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported in the incident.
“Any targeting of UNIFIL positions and any use of the vicinity of our positions to launch attacks across the Blue Line is unacceptable,” said UNIFIL. “After over two months of active shelling along the Blue Line, the potential for a miscalculation that could trigger a wider conflict is increasing.”
Israel’s political echelon, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered the IDF to prepare for an “immediate” return to fighting in Gaza, KAN News reported on Friday evening.
The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week that Israeli officials estimated that if no agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, Israel would return to fighting in Gaza in about a week and a half.
“Hamas is currently rejecting [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress,” one official said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Witkoff’s plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the continued deal. The rest of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.However, some claim that the terrorist organization has not rejected the proposal. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal.”
Eyal Zamir to Gaza border community heads: We’re preparing to fight
On his first day as the new IDF chief of staff on Thursday, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told heads of local councils from the Gaza border communities that “we are preparing to return to fighting” in Gaza.
“We must defeat Hamas,” Zamir said. “We are also preparing to resume fighting. The hostages are our top priority.”
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Negotiations over the continued release of hostages held in Gaza have stalled, and “right now there is nothing happening,” sources familiar with details of the talks admitted in conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
“Right now, there’s nothing happening,” an Israeli official told the Post, adding that “Hamas is currently rejecting the Witkoff proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress.”
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the Witkoff plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the deal. The second half of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.
On the other hand, some claim that Hamas has not rejected the proposal. “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations with the Post.“Hamas has said it is willing to negotiate and has not rejected the plan. Since Israel currently states that this is the proposal on the table, from Israel’s perspective, Hamas has rejected it.”
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff not expected to visit Israel soon, source says
An Israeli source told the Post that there is no expectation for Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to visit the region at the moment, adding, “He will only come to finalize a deal. And since there is no real progress right now, it is unclear when or if he will arrive.”
Without an agreement on the release of additional hostages in the coming days, Israeli sources say Israel is preparing to escalate its actions against Hamas. After the decision on Sunday to stop humanitarian aid, Israel is preparing to cut off water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, as well as resume fighting – some say this might happen, without a deal, as early as next week.
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues.
“The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israel responded to the mediators’ request to allow a few more days of negotiations. Katz added,d “If Hamas does not release the hostages soon, the gates of Gaza will be locked and the gates of hell will be opened – we will return to fighting, and they will face the IDF with forces and methods they have never encountered before.”
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues. “The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
No progress has been made in the ceasefire talks in Cairo, and Israel is reaching a dead end, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post Saturday.
There were lots of technical discussions but no results, the source added.
Israel and mediating countries believe that only the Trump administration can perhaps break the talks out of the impasse.
“When [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff arrives, things may happen. Everyone is waiting for him,” the source said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting on the hostage deal in the next several hours with senior officials and the negotiation team, an Israeli official told the Post.
Hamas refusing Israeli proposal to extend phase one of deal
Hamas is refusing the idea of extending the first phase of the deal, Israeli officials said.
The Israeli and Qatari delegations arrived in Cairo on Thursday. The delegation is led by Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Persons, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, as well as “M,” an anonymous officer from the Shin Bet. M is the former deputy of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who is reportedly no longer part of the hostage deal negotiating team.
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