Continued Efforts for Ceasefire in Lebanon; Macron's Warning and Blinken's Meeting with Israeli Minister

While the Prime Minister of Israel has left the proposal for a 21-day ceasefire with Lebanon unanswered, the President of France has called for pressure from the United States, and the U.S. Secretary of State also met with an Israeli minister regarding the 'importance' of this ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon continued on Thursday, October 5, with the Israeli army announcing that in one of these attacks, Mohammad Hossein Sarvar, the commander of Hezbollah's drone unit, was killed; Hezbollah confirmed this news on Thursday evening. The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on Thursday evening that in the last 24 hours, 88 people were killed and 153 injured in Israeli airstrikes on the country. Reactions to the 21-day ceasefire proposal and Israel's lack of response continued on Thursday. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, stated on Thursday evening that a potential rejection of this proposal by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, would be a 'mistake,' as in that case, 'the responsibility for escalating regional tensions would fall on him.' Macron, speaking at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Canada, added that he does not believe Netanyahu's statements about this proposal are definitive and that he will discuss the implementation of the plan with Israeli officials. The French President also called for U.S. pressure on Israel to accept the ceasefire, stating that there is still time for Netanyahu to respond positively to this proposal. He mentioned that if a negative response is given, France will raise the issue in the United Nations Security Council. The proposal for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was put forward on Wednesday evening by the United States and France, with support from Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. However, Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized on Thursday upon his arrival in New York that his country would continue its attacks on Hezbollah positions, and the Israeli Prime Minister's office stated that no response had been given to the 21-day ceasefire proposal. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Thursday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York with Ron Dermer, Israel's Minister of Strategic Affairs, and according to a statement from the U.S. State Department, emphasized the 'importance of reaching an agreement on a 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border.' According to the State Department statement, Blinken also stated that such an agreement would allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes and that 'further escalation of the conflict would only make this goal more difficult.' On Thursday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, announced that the 21-day ceasefire proposal had been coordinated with Israel in advance. John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, also emphasized Washington's coordination with the Israeli government regarding this plan before its public announcement. Kirby stated, 'We have a lot of evidence to believe that the Israelis were aware of this plan and its wording. If we didn't believe they were serious about it, we wouldn't have taken such action.' According to Reuters, despite Israel's position, the U.S. and France have continued to work to keep the prospect of a 21-day ceasefire alive, stating that negotiations on this matter are ongoing, including on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On the other hand, despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon continued on Thursday for the fourth consecutive day, leaving dozens dead, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The report indicated that some of the casualties were Syrian citizens who had sought refuge in the town of Younin, located in the Bekaa Valley along the Lebanon-Syria border. These attacks occurred after the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army announced on Wednesday that the country was preparing for a possible ground operation in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, called on the international community to refrain from sending military weapons to Israel to stop the bloodshed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Abbas also criticized the United States for continuing its diplomatic and military support for Israel despite the increasing casualties in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority leader stated, 'This madness must not continue; the whole world is responsible for what is happening to our people in Gaza and the West Bank.' Since the beginning of the current war in Gaza, the majority of the 2.4 million population of this strip have been displaced and have sought refuge in places such as schools. In his speech, Mahmoud Abbas also referred to the U.S. veto of Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, holding Washington responsible for the continuation of this war and stating that this support has 'encouraged Israel's ongoing aggression.' The United States has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to defending Israel's security while stating that it is focused on preventing the escalation of conflicts and achieving a diplomatic resolution to the Gaza war. The current crisis in the region began following an attack by the extremist group Hamas on southern Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages. In response to this group's attack, Israel launched operations throughout the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, has so far left more than 41,000 dead.