‘No moral mandate for a ceasefire’ - Israelis respond to news of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire

Following reports of the ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah terror forces – announced in a joint statement by U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron – Israelis from across the political spectrum spoke out against calls to stop the strikes on Hezbollah. 

Early reports in Hebrew media, indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had given “a green light” to the ceasefire proposal. However, soon after, many coalition politicians began to condemn the ceasefire proposal. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released a statement denying that Netanyahu had approved the ceasefire or had ordered the IDF to “ease up on the fighting” against Hezbollah. 

“The report about a ceasefire is incorrect. This is an American-French proposal that the Prime Minister has not even responded to," the PMO statement read.

"The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth. The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him."

A group of municipal heads of northern communities held an emergency meeting on Thursday morning following the news of the ceasefire proposal. 

“We, the heads of the municipalities in the eastern Galilee cluster, express firm and uncompromising opposition to any ceasefire agreement with a terrorist organization,” Avichai Stern, mayor of Kiryat Shmona, said at the meeting.

“For nearly an entire year, the terrorist organization has been firing at the State of Israel, shooting that sows destruction that has caused dozens of deaths, hundreds of injuries and tens of thousands of displaced people whose lives are not really living in recent months.” 

“A ceasefire with a despicable terrorist organization conveys weakness and naiveté, but even worse, it endangers the future of the country, the future of the north and national security,” Stern continued. 

Waheel Mughrabi, head of the Ain Kinya (Druze) council, said, “In the north, they are looking for peace and quiet. Since October 7, we have been absorbing and suffering. The first settlement in the north to lose one of its inhabitants was Ein Kinya. A worker working in Kiryat Shmona was killed at the factory. Unfortunately, we also got it at the Majdal Shams event. We don't want to lose any more of our loved ones.” 

Politicians also expressed their rejection of the 21-day ceasefire proposal. Yair Golan, head of the new party The Democrats, said he would agree to a three-day ceasefire focused on finally implementing the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. 

“No to a three-week ceasefire, yes to a three-day ceasefire with clear definitions for negotiations,” Golan said. “If at the end of the three days of the ceasefire, there is no positive direction, the fighting will resume. In any case, we must prepare for immediate action – a ground operation that will enable control of the Lebanese ridges that dominate our territory.” 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, expressed support for a ceasefire, but only up to a seven-day period. 

“The State of Israel should announce this morning that it accepts the Biden-Macron proposal for a ceasefire, but only for 7 days so as not to allow Hezbollah to rehabilitate its command-and-control systems,” Lapid said. "We will not accept any proposal that does not include removing Hezbollah from our northern border. Any proposal must allow the residents of the north to return safely to their homes immediately and lead to the resumption of negotiations for a hostage deal. Any violation – even the slightest – of the ceasefire will lead to Israel returning to attack with full force and in all areas of Lebanon."

Despite the call by his party head supporting the ceasefire, MK Idan Roll of Yesh Atid came out against the ceasefire proposal. 

“We must not agree to a ceasefire at this stage,” Rolle wrote, adding that “not even for legitimacy from the world to defend ourselves and return our citizens to their homes. Our legitimacy to act stems from Hezbollah's incessant firing on Israel since October.” 

Roll said that “now is the time to increase attacks and detract from the strategic capabilities that the organization has accumulated, so that we will not have to rely on Nasrallah's integrity in honoring agreements but will know that he cannot act against us.” 

Coalition politicians were especially unified in their rejection of a ceasefire for any period before Israel’s goals are met. 

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said, “It is impossible to complete the campaign in the north without a ground operation aimed at creating a buffer zone and redeploying our forces in order to remove the threat of an invasion of the Galilee and a recurrence of the evacuation of settlements in a future campaign. We must not stop now.” 

Minister of Settlements and National Institutions Orit Strock said, “There is no moral mandate for a ceasefire. Not for 21 days nor 21 hours. Hezbollah has turned Lebanon into a barrel of explosives. [UN Resolution] 1701 turned the inhabitants of the north into hostages, and exiles in their country. Do not repeat past mistakes. You don't stop until you fix it.” 

Knesset Member Dan Illouz of the Likud party, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, also stated: , “A proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah is absolute madness and abandonment of the citizens of Israel. Hezbollah is at a critical weak point – now is the time to reduce the threat, not give it a lifeline.” 

Tiberias Mayor Yossi Neva said that Hezbollah has not honored UN Resolution 1701 and will not honor another agreement. 

“After years in which Hezbollah is not deterred, the time has come to reach a military victory against it. To sign another futile agreement with him will be another blow to the faces of residents of the north who have been evacuated from their homes for the past 11 months,” Neva said.