Israeli military chief says Lebanon ceasefire ‘fragile’

Jerusalem, June 21 (IANS) Israel’s military chief Eyal Zamir said on Sunday that the ceasefire declared in Lebanon the day before is “fragile,” according to a statement from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Speaking during a situation assessment with senior commanders of units operating in southern Lebanon, Zamir stated that the military must maintain a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations and the elimination of threats, Xinhua news agency reported.

He added that the Israeli military continues to fight, and that its goal remains to protect communities in northern Israel.

“We are in the midst of a multi-front operation and continue to defend against Hezbollah,” he added.

Zamir claimed that Hezbollah has suffered a severe and significant blow and is in a very “difficult position,” noting that over the past two days, the Israeli military has neutralised a significant tier of mid-level command within several Hezbollah units.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that negotiators had already made “great progress” in talks with Iran at a Swiss resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, expressing confidence that further advances could be achieved in the coming hours as senior delegations met to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme and wider regional security issues.

Before the talks began, Vance struck an optimistic tone.

“We’ve already made great progress over just the last few hours, and I expect that we’ll make additional progress in the hours to come,” Vance told reporters.

Vance also addressed the situation in Lebanon, where renewed fighting has threatened broader diplomatic efforts.

Asked whether he had a message for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, the Vice President said negotiators had seen “great progress” in recent days.

“There, of course, are going to be sometimes disagreements about precisely how to get there, but I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still some additional wood to chop, but we’re going to keep on working,” Vance said.

–IANS

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