Israel 'fully informed' of Lebanon cease-fire call, not drafted ‘in a vacuum’: White House

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House said Thursday that the Israelis were "fully aware of every word" in a joint statement issued by the US and its allies which called for a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon.

The US, European Union and nine other nations called on Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group late Wednesday to agree to a 21-day cease-fire amid an escalation in their cross-border warfare.

However, the US has yet to provide a clear explanation following reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the potential cease-fire, instructing the Israeli army to proceed "with full force" against Hezbollah.

"What I can tell you is that statement we worked on last night wasn't just drawn up in a vacuum. It was done after a careful consultation, not only with the countries that signed on to it, but Israel itself, and we had every reason to believe that in the drafting of it and in the delivery of it that the Israelis were fully informed and fully aware of every word in it," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby during a press briefing.

"We wouldn't have done it if we didn't believe that it would be received with seriousness," he said.

Kirby said discussions with the Israeli counterparts are still happening today.

"So what prompted the prime minister's comments? Only he can say. What prompted our desire to get that statement written and out the door was that earnest desire to see diplomacy having a chance here, to deescalate," he added.

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the call for the temporary truce aimed to open up space to achieve a deal for civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes and securely.

"And I would add that the statement was indeed coordinated with the Israeli side," said Jean-Pierre.

She also noted that there are now discussions ongoing in New York.

"Our teams are continuing to have discussions, and so you'll probably hear more later in the day, but those discussions are ongoing," she added.

Israel has pounded Lebanon since early Monday, killing at least 677 people and injuring more than 2,500, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's onslaught against Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.