Jake Lew, the US Ambassador to Israel, warned Israel not to “Make a big deal out of nothing” in maintaining a ceasefire with the Hezbollah, the Israel Times reported Monday. Since the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel entered into force in the early hours of 27 November, Israel has launched numerous air strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
“The Israelis have made it very clear that they must be able to defend themselves, but they must also act and not make a big deal out of it,” Jake Lew said
Reported that since the lebanese-israeli ceasefire agreement came into effect last week, Israel launched several air strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Israel said the targets violated the terms of a cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. France and Lebanon have accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with its air strikes.
Jake Lew File Photo Credit: Foreign Media
While subtly criticizing the Israelis, the report said, Jake Lew also said, “The Lebanese government must increasingly control the things that lead to these reactions.”
“It takes time and a few days of volatility, but [ the cease-fire ] is still effective,” Lew said, adding that the US was now leading efforts to create new mechanisms to ensure the agreement was upheld, and deal with suspected violations of the agreement in real time.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on November 26 that the Israeli security cabinet had approved a cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The ceasefire came into force at 0400 hours local time on the 27th. The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Dec. 3 during a visit to Israeli military positions in the north of the country that if the israeli-israeli cease-fire agreement with the Hezbollah breaks down, the Israeli army will strike deep targets in Lebanon. A day earlier, the Israeli army said Hezbollah in the Lebanon-israel border area to the israeli-controlled area of the Doff Hill area (Lebanon called Sabah Farms) opened fire. Hizbullah responded that the target of the attack is the disputed area of the border between Lebanon and Israel Israeli military posts, shelling is“Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement,” the warning.