'Prepare yourselves': Israel readies troops for ground offensive as US and UK call for immediate 21-day ceasefire
26 September 2024, 01:26 | Updated: 26 September 2024, 07:02
Israel has prepared troops for a ground offensive in Lebanon - as the US, UK, France and other allies jointly called on Wednesday for an immediate 21-day ceasefire
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The joint statement, released during the UN General Assembly in New York, says the recent fighting is "intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation".
"We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy," the statement said.
"We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary cease-fire immediately."
Signatories to the statement include the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
It comes after the head of the Israeli army told his troops on Wednesday evening that the bombing of Hezbollah in Lebanon was to pave the way for a possible ground incursion.
"You hear the jets overhead, we have been striking all day," General Herzi Halevi told troops on the border with Lebanon.
"This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah."
He continued: "The goal is very clear - to safely return the residents of the north.
"To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a manoeuvre, which means your military boots, your manoeuvring boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points, and launchpads into our territory and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians."
It comes as two reserve brigades have been called in for "operational missions" in northern parts of Israel - and have been positioned close to the Lebanese border.
Read more: Starmer tells UN Middle East is ‘on the brink' as Israel 'prepares for entry into Lebanon'
Halevi said: "You will go in, destroy the enemy there, and decisively destroy their infrastructure.
"These are the things that will allow us to safely return the residents of the north afterward."
Iran's foreign minister warned Israeli leaders on Wednesday that "crimes won't go unpunished".
Speaking in New York, Abbas Araghchi said Israel had "crossed all red lines" and the UN Security Council "must intervene to restore peace and security".
He warned that the region was on the brink of a "full-scale catastrophe", adding that Iran supported Hezbollah in its "just cause" to defend Lebanon against Israeli "atrocities" and "occupation".
Speaking last night, a senior US official reportedly said a ceasefire could arrive within "hours" as the world looks to bring Israel and Lebanon back from the brink.
It comes as the UK has unveiled a £5m support package for Lebanon, following the deadly air strikes and rocket fire which Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged since the start of the week.
The Foreign Office confirmed the aid will go towards medical supplies, hygiene kits, fuel for water stations, and emergency teams working in the health and nutrition fields.
It also confirmed that 700 troops were sent to Cyprus on an evacuation mission on Tuesday as tensions continued to escalate.
Hezbollah has been bombing northern Israel, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes.
Meanwhile, Israel has killed hundreds in Lebanon with its shelling.
Britain has told any of its citizens living in Lebanon to leave immediately.
At least 72 people were killed and 223 wounded in attacks on Wednesday alone, according to Lebanese officials.
Addressing the UN Security Council, British PM Keir Starmer called for "political solutions that can break repeated cycles of violence like that in the Middle East".
He also said that the Middle East needed a "political plan" that allows Israeli civilians "to return to their homes to live in peace and security."
"That security will come through diplomacy not escalation," Sir Keir said. "There is no military solution here - nor is there a military only solution to the conflict in Gaza.
"This Council must demand again an immediate, full, and complete ceasefire in Gaza, with the release of all the hostages.
"We need a political route to that agreement, which provides a bridge to a better future, a credible and irreversible path towards a viable Palestinian state, alongside a safe and secure state of Israel.
"That is the only way to provide security and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians."
Sir Keir said that the "humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza" continued to "deepen by the day”.
He added: “Israel must grant humanitarian access to civilians in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law. There can be no more excuses.
“Israel must open more crossings, allow vital, life-saving aid to flow and provide a safe environment for the UN and other humanitarian organisations to operate.”
Lord Kim Darroch says 'it looks like the next stage is a ground invasion in Lebanon'
Sir Keir also took aim at Russia over its invasion of Ukraine during his speech, accusing Vladimir Putin of pointlessly sacrificing his own troops as he called for an end to the war.
“Six hundred thousand Russian soldiers have also been killed or wounded in this war. And for what?
“The UN Charter – which they sit here to uphold - speaks of human dignity. Not treating your own citizens as bits of meat to fling into the grinder.
“There can be no equivocation here. There must be accountability. Aggression cannot pay. Borders cannot be redrawn by force.
“Russia started this illegal war. It must end it – and get out of Ukraine.”
