Israel Insists on “Negotiating Under Fire”

Israel has destroyed an entire Lebanese village in its attempt to break Hezbollah’s first line of defense.

Israel remains committed to negotiating the war in Lebanon “under fire,” amidst air raids, ground incursions, and fierce clashes in the border area in southern Lebanon. The military operations included the destruction of an entire border village and the booby-trapping of homes and residential areas in several towns. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated during an assessment of the situation in Lebanon that “any negotiations we conduct will only be under fire,” emphasizing that “combining Hezbollah’s weakening and pushing them back will allow the return of northern residents.” He stressed that “returning the northern residents means pushing Hezbollah back from the border line.”

As the Israeli army advances with its incursion plan and attempts to break Hezbollah’s first defense line, local media reported violent clashes on multiple fronts, which lasted for hours around the town of Al-Qouzah in the western sector and occurred “at close range.” Israeli media also reported the landing of eight helicopters to evacuate the wounded and the summoning of additional medical teams to hospitals in Haifa.