Lebanon is not included in a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned, with strikes continuing after the deal was announced.
Washington dramatically announced a “double-sided ceasefire” late on Tuesday, which will see strikes suspended against the Iranian regime for two weeks if they reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop attacks against the United States, Israel and neighbouring countries in the region.
The de-escalation efforts were announced in the eleventh hour after US president Donald Trump had warned a “civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again” unless Tehran capitulated to his demands for a ceasefire deal on Tuesday night.
The Israeli prime minister’s office issued an official statement in support of the ceasefire in Iran, only to caveat that “the two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon”.
Shortly after the prime minister’s statement, Israel’s military issued repeated urgent warnings to residents of Tyre in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately and move north of the Zahrani River. Photos showed smoke rising from explosions in Tyre on Wednesday following an Israeli strike.
“Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” the statement from Mr Netanyahu read.
“Israel also supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran's Arab neighbours and the world.
“The United States has told Israel that it is committed to achieving these goals, shares by the US, Israel and Israel's regional allies, in the upcoming negotiations. The two-weeks ceasefire does not include Lebanon.”
Hezbollah halted fire on northern Israel and on Israeli troops in Lebanon in the early hours of Wednesday as part of the ceasefire and is expected to issue a statement outlining its formal position in due course.
Pakistan, which brokered the ceasefire deal, had said it extends to Israel and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon.
More than 1,500 deaths have been recorded in Lebanon since Israel and Hezbollah reignited their conflict at the end of February, authorities reported on Tuesday, with more than one million civilians displaced.
French president Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, at the start of his meeting on defence with advisers and members of his cabinet, but added the situation in Lebanon remained critical and called for the country to be included in the deal.
France has advocated for Lebanon since the US-Israeli war with Iran began, ramping up aid for the country and even suggesting Paris as a location for Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire negotiations.
Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticised Mr Netanyahu, stating that Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the country’s national security.
“There has never been such a political disaster in all of our history. Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security.
“The military carried out everything that was asked of it, the public demonstrated amazing resilience, but Mr Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set.
“It will take us years to repair the political and strategic damage that Mr Netanyahu wrought due to arrogance, negligence, and a lack of strategic planning.”
Iran said on Wednesday that negotiations with the US would begin on Friday in Islamabad.
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