Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has refuted claims of signing a ceasefire framework for Lebanon proposed by the United States and its allies. Reports surfaced alleging that Mikati had signed a ceasefire proposal following a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Amos Hochstein during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mikati's office clarified that while he welcomed the US statement on the framework proposal, he emphasized that its implementation should be contingent upon an 'Israeli commitment' to international resolutions. Notably, Hezbollah has remained silent on the proposal and has not indicated acceptance. Without the support of Hezbollah, Mikati's signing of the proposal is unlikely to have significant impact.
On the Israeli side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has denied reports of an imminent ceasefire and stated that Netanyahu has not yet responded to the proposal. Furthermore, Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to continue operations in the north 'with full force,' as per an official statement.
