The mutual rocket fire between Lebanon and Israel continues daily with intensity and violence, gradually expanding military operations to areas relatively far from the border, raising fears of an all-out war in the region. Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 reported from sources that Israel is trying to reach an agreement regarding the northern front, which has seen escalation with the Lebanese Hezbollah. According to the sources, the efforts to reach an agreement concerning the northern front "relate to Hezbollah."
On Friday, Hezbollah fighters allied with Iran launched a barrage of dozens of rockets towards Israel, marking the third day of retaliation for the killing of a prominent group leader. The Israeli army reported that approximately 35 projectiles were detected. Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah have been exchanging cross-border attacks almost daily since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in October.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Friday that Israel would not join a three-party effort to halt the fighting with Lebanese Hezbollah, which was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Gallant stated in a statement from his office, "As we engage in a just war defending our people, France has adopted hostile policies toward Israel." President Macron had referred to the efforts on Thursday during the G7 summit in Italy, saying that France, the United States, and Israel agreed to collaborate to ease tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Macron added, "We agreed on the principle of a three-party effort between Israel, the United States, and France to push forward a roadmap we proposed."
Gallant's rejection of the French proposal sparked criticism from senior officials in the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a rare public dispute. Officials stated on Friday, "We disagree with Defense Minister Gallant's attack on France," adding that France has supported Israel in several ways during the war, including assisting in Israeli defenses against an Iranian missile attack in April, imposing sanctions on Hamas and Iran, and combating antisemitism locally.
