Israel/ Hezbollah/ PNN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen to escalate actions against Hezbollah, considering options like a ground invasion or the assassination of Nasrallah. This follows his office's "calm" response to a French-American 21-day ceasefire proposal. The Israeli security forces are prepared for attempts to smuggle weapons from Iran to Lebanon, with recent attacks on trucks at the Syria-Lebanon border.

The Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom" reported that Washington was taken aback by Netanyahu's outright rejection of the ceasefire proposal as he arrived in the U.S. for his annual UN speech. The report indicated that Netanyahu instructed the Israeli army and security establishment to carry out more operations in Lebanon, despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations under U.S. pressure. He also ordered a stop to smuggling attempts from Iran to Lebanon, which led to recent attacks aimed at disrupting the flow of Iranian arms to Hezbollah.

Tensions have risen between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the White House following his public rejection of the ceasefire plan upon arriving in the U.S. Sources in Israel noted that the U.S.-French initiative for a 21-day ceasefire has brought to light new developments. During a Security Cabinet meeting, Israeli ministers did not outright reject the initiative but also did not approve it, facing threats of coalition exits from figures like Ben Gvir. This internal discord influenced the final decision, contradicting the White House's messages throughout the night.

An Israeli official told "Israel Hayom" that pressure is mounting as elections draw near, with Prime Minister Netanyahu stating that there will be no ceasefire unless Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani River.