Israel defies ceasefire calls and vows to keep battling Hezbollah

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israel on Thursday rejected a push led by its key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, vowing to keep fighting Hezbollah militants "until victory".

Israeli bombing of Iran-backed Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon has killed hundreds of people this week, while the militant group has retaliated with rocket barrages.

"There will be no ceasefire in the north. We will continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation with all our strength until victory and the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had "not even responded" to the truce proposal, and that he had ordered the military "to continue the fighting with full force".

The United States, France and other allies called for a 21-day halt, after President Joe Biden and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The situation in Lebanon has become "intolerable" and "is in nobody's interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon", their joint statement said.

Macron said later it was "a mistake" for Netanyahu to refuse a ceasefire and that he would have to take "responsibility" for a regional escalation.

The Israeli military announced fresh strikes on southern Lebanon and Hezbollah said its fighters had launched dozens of rockets at northern Israel.

Lebanon's health ministry said late Thursday that Israeli strikes had killed 92 people in the country and injured 153 in the past 24 hours.

Macron warned against Lebanon "becoming a new Gaza", citing the "absolutely shocking" number of civilian casualties.

More than 1,500 people have been killed since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah erupted last October, with Thursday's toll bringing the number of people killed  in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Monday alone to more than 700.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the call for a ceasefire "to provide space for a diplomatic settlement", in a speech to the UN General Assembly.

The Israeli defence ministry announced that it had secured a new