Israeli officials convened on Thursday to deliberate on the U.S. ceasefire proposals concerning Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating that discussions will persist in the upcoming days. He expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the United States.

“Our teams convened on Thursday, September 26, to evaluate the U.S. initiative and explore ways to achieve our common objective of ensuring the safe return of individuals to their homes. We will carry on with these discussions in the days to come,” he stated.

These remarks followed Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s assertion on Thursday that a ceasefire in the northern region was not on the table, as Israeli airstrikes have intensified against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, marking the most significant military action in decades.

Following Netanyahu’s departure for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, his office released a statement confirming that the prime minister had instructed Israeli forces to maintain their operations in Lebanon with full intensity.

Netanyahu’s remarks did not address the statements made by Katz and other Israeli officials, who have also opposed a ceasefire. Instead, he noted that there has been “a lot of misreporting surrounding the U.S.-led ceasefire initiative.” The statement emphasized, “Israel aligns with the objectives of the U.S.-led initiative to allow individuals along our northern border to return to their homes safely and securely.” It further acknowledged, “Israel values the efforts of the U.S. in this matter, as its involvement is crucial for promoting stability and security in the region.”

For nearly a year, Israeli forces have engaged in daily skirmishes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, following the Iranian-backed group’s missile attacks on Israel that occurred immediately after the Hamas-led assault on October 7. This ongoing conflict has forced tens of thousands of individuals on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes, resulting in vast areas being largely uninhabited. Israel has identified the return of evacuees to their residences as a key objective of its military operations.

In the past week, Israeli airstrikes have targeted hundreds of locations in southern Lebanon and further inland, resulting in over 600 fatalities. Concurrently, Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets and missiles at various targets in Israel, including an attack on Tel Aviv. Israel’s air defense systems have successfully intercepted many of these missiles, thereby limiting the extent of the damage.