Hardline partners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition on Thursday rejected proposals from the United States and France that would see a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon to allow time for a diplomatic solution to be reached, APA reports citing Reuters.
Netanyahu, who left Israel on Thursday to address the United Nations, has yet to respond directly to the ceasefire proposal. Before leaving he repeated pledges to ensure that tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from northern border areas can return home.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads one of two nationalist-religious factions in the coalition, said Hezbollah should be crushed and that only its surrender would make it possible for the evacuees to return.
"The enemy must not be given time to recover from the heavy blows he received and to reorganize for the continuation of the war after 21 days," he said in a statement.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's far-right faction was due to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday but members of the party have already come out against the proposal.
The United States and France, backed by other allies, called on Wednesday for a 21 day ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon "Blue Line," the demarcation line between the two countries, to allow the parties to negotiate towards a potential diplomatic resolution of the conflict.