Air strikes crush hopes of ceasefire

An Israeli fighter jet attacked Hezbollah's military air chief in Beirut. The Islamist movement responded with massive rocket fire against the city of Safed – and attempts to reach a temporary ceasefire were ineffective.

» Published: September 26 2024

Air strikes crush hopes of ceasefire
Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP/TT

The Israeli military (IDF) targeted a specific target in the southern part of the capital Beirut on Thursday. Both Israel and Hezbollah's armed branch confirmed that the commander of the movement's drone and air unit, Mohammed Srur – also known as Abu Saleh, had been killed in the attack.

The Lebanese Health Department added that another person had been killed and that around 15 people had been injured in the air raid.

Attack on Safed

Later in the day, Hezbollah responded by firing around 40 rockets at Israel. The target was the city of Safed with nearly 40,000 inhabitants, according to Hezbollah. The IDF confirmed the attack and said that a large part of the rockets had been stopped by Israel's air defense.

The latest attacks followed a day of intense efforts to negotiate some kind of ceasefire; the talks were held, among other places, at the UN headquarters in New York where heads of state and government gathered for the General Assembly's debate.

The US was behind a proposal to introduce a 21-day ceasefire.

The response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was that he had not responded to the proposal.

"Full force"

"It's a proposal from the US and France, which the Prime Minister hasn't even responded to," it was stated in a communiqué from Netanyahu's office.

The message from Netanyahu was the opposite: "We will continue to fight with full force."

The White House responded late on Thursday with criticism of Netanyahu, and a spokesperson told reporters that the proposal had been "coordinated" with Israel.

Diplomatic efforts continued on Thursday. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in an appearance in London that a diplomatic solution was still possible, and that it could have a bearing on an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also raised the issue in a meeting with Israeli opposition politician Benny Gantz in Berlin.

"Hezbollah must withdraw from Lebanon's border areas; all parties have a responsibility to find a diplomatic solution" Scholz wrote on X after the meeting.

No signs in the combat zone indicated that the warring parties were listening.

The Lebanese Health Department reported that over 1,500 people had been killed in the fighting that began – albeit on a smaller scale – after the terrorist-stamped Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

The deteriorating situation in Lebanon reinforced the extensive flight, both internally in the country and out of Lebanon. Over 31,000 people have fled to neighboring Syria in the past week, including over 15,000 Syrians who had previously fled their homeland due to the civil war in Syria.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Guinea Pardons Ex-Dictator Camara After
1 MIN READ

Guinea Pardons Ex-Dictator Camara After Arena Massacre Sentence

Over 100,000 Russian Soldiers Confirmed
1 MIN READ

Over 100,000 Russian Soldiers Confirmed Dead in Ukraine Conflict

Denmark Criticizes US VP Vance's
1 MIN READ

Denmark Criticizes US VP Vance's Remarks on Greenland Visit

US Expands Airstrikes in Yemen
2 MIN READ

US Expands Airstrikes in Yemen Targeting Houthi-Controlled Areas

FDA Vaccine Chief Resigns, Cites
1 MIN READ

FDA Vaccine Chief Resigns, Cites Kennedy's Misinformation

16 Maoist Rebels Killed in
1 MIN READ

16 Maoist Rebels Killed in Ongoing Clashes with Indian Forces

Greenland's Jørgen Boassen Faces Backlash,
2 MIN READ

Greenland's Jørgen Boassen Faces Backlash, Supports US Ties

Football Fan Discovers Sensitive UK
2 MIN READ

Football Fan Discovers Sensitive UK Military Documents in Trash Bag

Rescue Efforts Intensify as Voices
3 MIN READ

Rescue Efforts Intensify as Voices Heard in Myanmar Earthquake Rubble

Columbia University President Steps Down
1 MIN READ

Columbia University President Steps Down After Funding Agreement

Utah Enacts Ban on Rainbow
1 MIN READ

Utah Enacts Ban on Rainbow Flags in Schools and Government Buildings

Genre image
1 MIN READ

Russian Drone Attack on Dnipro Leaves Four Dead, Many Injured

Yemen's Huthi Movement Accuses US
1 MIN READ

Yemen's Huthi Movement Accuses US of Airstrikes on Sanaa

Damascus Lifts Alcohol Ban in
1 MIN READ

Damascus Lifts Alcohol Ban in Christian Quarters After Protests

Zelensky Open to Peace Talks
1 MIN READ

Zelensky Open to Peace Talks with Russia, Excluding Putin

South Sudan's Vice President Riek
1 MIN READ

South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar Placed Under House Arrest

Trump and Canada's Carney Report
2 MIN READ

Trump and Canada's Carney Report Productive Talks on US-Canada Relations

Ukraine Recovers 909 Soldiers' Remains
1 MIN READ

Ukraine Recovers 909 Soldiers' Remains from Russian Conflict

Frederiksen Calls Vance's Criticism of
2 MIN READ

Frederiksen Calls Vance's Criticism of Denmark Unfair During Greenland Visit

Greenland's New Government Aims for
2 MIN READ

Greenland's New Government Aims for Stability and Unity

Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse Caught on
1 MIN READ

Bangkok Skyscraper Collapse Caught on Camera in 30 Seconds

Putin and Erdogan Talk Black
1 MIN READ

Putin and Erdogan Talk Black Sea Deal and Sanctions Relief

Denmark Proposes Defense Pact with
2 MIN READ

Denmark Proposes Defense Pact with US Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Myanmar Earthquake Adds to Struggles
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Earthquake Adds to Struggles in War-Torn Nation

Seismologist Warns of Severe Impact
1 MIN READ

Seismologist Warns of Severe Impact After Myanmar Earthquake

Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Energy
1 MIN READ

Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Energy Sites as Ceasefire Talks Falter

Swedes in Bangkok Share Earthquake
3 MIN READ

Swedes in Bangkok Share Earthquake Fears as City Grapples with Aftershocks

Istanbul Mayor's Lawyer Arrested in
1 MIN READ

Istanbul Mayor's Lawyer Arrested in Turkey, Sparking Outcry

Myanmar Earthquake: Over 150 Dead,
2 MIN READ

Myanmar Earthquake: Over 150 Dead, Thousands Feared Lost

US Vice President Visits Greenland
2 MIN READ

US Vice President Visits Greenland Base as Tensions Simmer

Greenlanders Anxious Over US Interest
3 MIN READ

Greenlanders Anxious Over US Interest as Trump Sparks Debate

US VP Visit to Greenland
2 MIN READ

US VP Visit to Greenland Base Sparks Tension and Uncertainty

Canada's New PM Carney Declares
1 MIN READ

Canada's New PM Carney Declares Shift in US Relations

Seized Superyacht Linked to Money
1 MIN READ

Seized Superyacht Linked to Money Laundering Fetches 108 Million

Rubio Warns Venezuela Against Aggression
1 MIN READ

Rubio Warns Venezuela Against Aggression Towards Guyana

Judge Orders Preservation of Leaked
1 MIN READ

Judge Orders Preservation of Leaked Chat on Yemen Discussions

King Charles Hospitalized for Observation
1 MIN READ

King Charles Hospitalized for Observation Due to Treatment Side Effects

Iran Replies to Trump's Nuclear
1 MIN READ

Iran Replies to Trump's Nuclear Energy Letter via Oman

Belgium Probes 40+ Drink-Spiking Rape
1 MIN READ

Belgium Probes 40+ Drink-Spiking Rape Cases in Kortrijk Bars

Denmark Eases Health Criteria to
1 MIN READ

Denmark Eases Health Criteria to Boost Defense Recruitment