The Hebrew news site “Walla” revealed that Mossad Chief Dedi Barnea delivered a significant message to CIA Director Bill Burns. The message included Israel’s stipulation that any future ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon must also include a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military establishment has decided to shift its strategy and “turn against” Hezbollah.
The plan aims to link the ceasefire in Lebanon with completing the prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.
According to the channel, the purpose of this proposal is to exert additional pressure on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar through Hezbollah and Iran.
This idea, as highlighted by the channel, reflects the complexity of the situation and the attempts to connect different fronts to achieve Israel’s objectives.
On Tuesday, CNN reported, citing American officials, that “Washington is currently not seeking to revive ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah.”
The officials added that “it is currently unclear which Lebanese party Washington will engage with in any ceasefire talks,” noting that “the Biden administration fears that Israel’s promise of a limited operation could escalate into a prolonged and widespread conflict.”
They also mentioned that Washington is urging Israel to avoid excessive escalation through a retaliatory strike on Iran.
On Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden called for a ceasefire following Israel’s extensive bombing campaign on the strongholds of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Biden responded to a journalist’s question about whether Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon was inevitable and if it was time for a ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi proposed two conditions for a ceasefire with the occupation after discussions with Lebanese officials during his visit to Beirut.
Araghchi, in statements to Iranian television, said that the first condition is to respect the resistance and accept a ceasefire that ensures the rights of the Lebanese people, while the second condition is for this to coincide with a similar and complete cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah announced that it had thwarted two Israeli infiltration attempts at two points in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military admitted that three soldiers were “seriously wounded” in these confrontations and that two projectiles launched from Lebanon had been intercepted near coastal areas.
Hezbollah stated in a press release: “During an Israeli force’s attempt to advance towards the Al-Labouna area early Wednesday morning, our fighters targeted them with artillery shells and rocket-propelled weapons, causing direct hits and forcing them to retreat.”
The statement added: “Early Wednesday morning, the party’s fighters detonated an explosive device on a group of Israeli enemy soldiers and engaged them as they attempted to infiltrate the town of Blida, inflicting precise injuries,” according to a second statement.
