US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed on Wednesday that the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is “holding,” despite ongoing skirmishes.
Speaking at a NATO meeting in Brussels, Blinken highlighted the efforts to address violations through established mechanisms.
“The ceasefire is holding, and we’re using the mechanism that was established when any concerns have arisen about any alleged or purported violations,” Blinken told journalists.
Both Israel and Hezbollah have lodged accusations of ceasefire breaches since the truce, brokered by the U.S., took effect last week.
“I think fundamentally, both parties, that is to say, Israel and Hezbollah, through the Lebanese government, wanted and continue to want the ceasefire,” Blinken noted. “But we have to make sure that it’s upheld. And we’re determined to do that,” he added.
Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high, with Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warning of severe repercussions if the truce collapses.
“If we return to war, we will act with strength, go deeper,” Katz stated on Tuesday. He further emphasized that future hostilities would no longer distinguish between Hezbollah and the Lebanese state. “If until now we separated the State of Lebanon from Hezbollah – and the entirety of Beirut from Dahiyeh, which took very hard hits – this will no longer be the case,” he warned.
This comes after Israel launched airstrikes in Lebanon earlier this week, resulting in 10 fatalities. The strikes were in retaliation for a Hezbollah mortar attack on an Israeli base, which the group described as a warning against Israel’s “repeated violations.”
A monitoring committee, comprising representatives from France, the United Nations, Israel, Lebanon, and chaired by the U.S., is responsible for maintaining communication and managing potential violations to prevent escalation.
“The mechanism that we established with France to make sure that the ceasefire is effectively monitored and implemented is working, and we want to make sure it continues to work,” Blinken said.
“If there are concerns that one party or the other is violating the ceasefire, it comes to us, and one way or another, we engage the parties. That’s exactly what’s happened,” he added.
