Report: Netanyahu Mulls Ending Invasion Amid Rising Losses

Date: 30 October 2024 - 22:15

News ID: ۱۳۳۰۵۰

TEL AVIV (Dispatches) --
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with senior security officials on Tuesday evening to discuss the possibility of ending the invasion of Lebanon, Israeli media report.
The meeting came after a notable increase in Israeli military casualties along the Lebanese front in recent days.
According to Israel Hayom, Netanyahu convened a session with top security officials at 8 p.m. local time (18:00 GMT), focusing on Lebanon’s northern front, upcoming operational priorities and exploring options for a political settlement to conclude the conflict.
The newspaper cited an unnamed Israeli official as saying, “The timeline for ending the war in Lebanon is approaching and is likely a matter of weeks.”
However, he emphasized that “troops will not be withdrawn until a resolution is reached that meets Israel’s security requirements”.
The U.S., Netanyahu added, must offer full support to Israel’s ability to operate freely in Lebanon after the war.
Israel’s Channel 12 also reported that Netanyahu’s meeting took place amid security assessments suggesting that the occupation entity is close to ending its aggression on the northern front.
The channel also noted that Zionist strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer is leading negotiations with the U.S. administration to secure a political agreement in Lebanon, aiming to implement an “accord” reached by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut. The framework is reportedly based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Channel 12 added that the proposed accord includes a revised version of the resolution, calling for a significant deployment of multinational forces in the region.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah struck another Israeli military base near the town of Metula in the northern part of the occupied territories.
Israeli media said two people were injured by shrapnel from a Hezbollah rocket. They were airlifted and transferred to Rambam hospital in Haifa.
On its Telegram account, the hospital released footage that showed a helicopter landing and transferring the injured. The medical center said one of the men, in his 40s, is seriously wounded, while the other, in his 30s, was listed in light-to-moderate condition.
Air raid sirens were activated in several Israeli-occupied towns in the north following the Hezbollah rocket attack.
A ballistic missile was also fired, triggering alerts in the Sharon region, Upper Galilee, and the occupied Golan Heights.
The Zionist regime also reported a drone strike in the northern city of Nahariya. The military said the drone caused damage to an aviation factory.
The Israeli military keeps attacking Lebanon, killing and injuring more civilians. The regime says it has targeted over 100 places in the latest airstrikes.
In central Lebanon, near the village of Aaraiya, Israeli forces targeted a van with missiles. One person was killed.
The regime has issued an evacuation order for the entire city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.
Earlier, at least 10 people lost their lives in an airstrike on Haret Saida, a town near the southern city of Sidon.
Since October 2023, Israel has martyred over 2,700 people in Lebanon. Most of them have lost their lives in the past month amid intensified airstrikes and a ground offensive.