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A far-right member of Israel’s governing coalition on Friday said that “all of Lebanon must burn,” as fighting broke out between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah despite a ceasefire imposed by the U.S. and Iran.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister and head of the far-right Jewish Power party, posted on the social platform X that Israel must respond with overwhelming force to the death of Israeli soldiers killed in fighting overnight. President Trump has publicly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to exercise restraint even when retaliating against attacks from Hezbollah.
“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit,” Ben-Gvir posted.
“All of Lebanon must burn. Our supreme duty is to protect the citizens of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF, and this commitment takes precedence over every other consideration,” he continued, using the abbreviation for the Israeli military.
Ben-Gvir is a fringe member of Netanyahu’s coalition but wields influence in the relatively small majority. He was at the forefront of a movement that in March succeeded in passing legislation imposing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. Ben-Gvir holds multiple convictions related to support for a terrorist organization and was condemned by the Biden administration for “inflammatory and irresponsible” rhetoric against Palestinians.
Iran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a priority condition of its agreement with the U.S. to halt fighting and enter negotiations over its nuclear program. A first round of talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland was postponed following the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
On Monday, Ben-Gvir pushed back on the developing ceasefire terms. “Trump’s agreement does not bind us,” he wrote X in a post translated from Hebrew. “Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation!”
Senior administration officials briefing reporters on the details of the memorandum of understanding said the ceasefire did not require Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
A source familiar with the situation told NewsNation that a new ceasefire has been agreed to and is set to go into effect at 4 p.m. local time Friday among Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon. The source said this was mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Iran.
Vice President Vance on Thursday offered a veiled criticism of Ben-Gvir for criticizing the agreement with Iran, which included a ceasefire in Lebanon. Ben-Gvir has said Israel is not a party to the deal and is not constrained by its calls for a ceasefire.
“If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance said at a press conference at the White House.
“The other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.”
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