Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz have called for a halt to hostilities in Lebanon, according to an Israeli media report. Minister Nir Barkat cautioned against abandoning the war's achievements, noting a policy disagreement with the U.S. but expressing confidence in the prime minister's handling of Israeli interests.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have called for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, according to an Israeli media report Saturday evening. The report, carried by Channel 14, comes amid ongoing diplomatic pressure on Israel to de-escalate on the northern front.
Economy Minister Nir Barkat separately addressed the war's trajectory, cautioning against forgetting Israel's achievements in the campaign. 'We have a disagreement with the Americans, and that's fine,' Barkat said. 'The prime minister knows how to take care of our interests — bringing security to the north, as was done in the south.'
As The Zioneer has previously reported, a U.S. official told Barak Ravid on Friday that Netanyahu had '100% agreed' to renew the Lebanon ceasefire, though the Prime Minister's Office has not yet confirmed that. The new call by Netanyahu and Katz appears to align with the reported U.S.-brokered framework, though the timing and the scope of the 'stop the fire' directive remain unspecified.
The statement marks the first explicit joint call by Israel's top civilian and defense leadership to wind down operations in Lebanon, diverging from earlier assertions by Netanyahu that 'there is still work to do' in the war.
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