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SvennoJ on 14 September 2024
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Netanyahu plans ‘broad’ attack on Lebanon: Reports

Israel’s Channel 13, citing an unnamed senior official, reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu is planning to launch a major attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon soon.

Israel is “on the verge of a broad and strong operation on the northern front”, it quoted the official as saying. “No date has yet been set but it is expected in the near future,” the report said. Israel’s cabinet is expected to meet this week to discuss the situation.

The Kan public broadcaster reports that Netanyahu believes a full-scale war in Lebanon won’t diminish Israel’s military pressure on Hamas in Gaza. However, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant disagrees and has said forces will need to be redeployed from the war-battered Palestinian territory.

‘Netanyahu vs the people’ – protests continue in Tel Aviv


Netanyahu insists on military pressure to free captives held in Gaza

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv again, calling for a deal to bring back the remaining Israeli captives.

Family members of those still being held in Gaza say that Netanyahu is neither capable nor willing to accept a deal. But the Israeli premier has said otherwise. He says that military pressure is still the only way to bring about the release of those captives.

Family members, speaking on Saturday, have said that policy only kills captives. This comes after the Israeli army’s chief of staff released a statement saying that as more time goes on, it will be harder to bring anyone back from Gaza, and that any sort of ceasefire deal to bring the captives back lies within the hands of the Israeli government.

But Netanyahu’s red lines when it comes to securing a deal have only gotten tougher and that’s according to an anonymous Israeli official speaking to Israeli media over the last several months, while all of these talks and negotiations have been ongoing.

There have been consecutive demonstrations for nearly two weeks in Israel as family members of Israeli captives say that enough time has gone by and that the time for a deal is now.


Israel’s public still wants war to destroy Hamas

Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg says the large protests are unlikely to yield any results for the release of captives in Gaza through a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

“This public pressure is seen as partisan, motivated by domestic political considerations. Netanyahu feels quite comfortable being perceived as the leader of the anti-protest side, even if he’s criticised by hundreds of thousands of people on the streets,” Goldberg told Al Jazeera.

The broad consensus in Israel – that Hamas must be totally destroyed – remains strong and Netanyahu “builds” off that, which is why he “remains unfazed” by the mass demonstrations, he added.

“A clear demand from the broad public that is demonstrating that the war must end is something we have yet to hear,” said Goldberg.

He noted a group of prominent technology businesspeople last week launched a campaign with the slogan, “We’ll bring them back, then we’ll go back” – meaning get the captives freed, then return to Gaza to fight Hamas.

“That is the situation as far as the Israeli public goes.”

Biden says US, UK working together to address ‘urgent need for a ceasefire deal’

US President Joe Biden said Washington and the United Kingdom will continue to work together to address “the urgent need for a ceasefire deal that will free the hostages and enable increased relief in Gaza”.

He issued the statement on X after meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.

Earlier on Friday, Starmer had also described the need for a ceasefire deal as “urgent”.



More likely working together to give Israel free reign to continue the genocide in Gaza and annexation of the West Bank.