U.S. and allies urge Israel, Hezbollah to ceasefire talks

The United States and its allies have called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah to allow the parties to begin talks on a possible diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately, the statement published on September 25 on the White House website said.

The US allies who signed the joint statement include Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar.

Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported, citing a source in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, that the country’s authorities had given a "green light for a ceasefire with the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia."

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu ordered the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to reduce the intensity of attacks in Lebanon.

As Reuters highlights, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, heading to New York to speak at the UN, said he has not yet responded to the ceasefire proposal and ordered the army to continue fighting.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed hope for a quick ceasefire. When Reuters asked whether a ceasefire could be achieved shortly, he answered affirmatively.

Let us recall that on September 23, the Israeli Defense Forces announced that the Israeli military had launched a "preemptive" military operation against the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The IDF announced that within a few days of massive bombings in Lebanon, they had destroyed hundreds of targets related to Hezbollah.