Israel Hits Back At Pakistani Claims; Reiterates To Defend Itself Against Any Destructions.

Tel Aviv; April 2026: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that there is “no ceasefire in Lebanon” and vowed to continue military operations with “full force” against Hezbollah. “I wish to inform you: There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security”, he said.

Netanyahu has further stated that he has instructed the Cabinet to open direct negotiations with the
Lebanese government to achieve “disarmament of Hezbollah” and “historic peace agreement. Following repeated requests from the Lebanese government, last night I instructed the Cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon to achieve two goals. First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a historic peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon”, the Israeli PM reiterated.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Hezbollah launch sites immediately after the ceasefire was announced. “The IDF has begun to attack the Hezbollah terror organisation’s launch sites in Lebanon”, the IDF said in a post on X. Earlier, Netanyahu instructed the government officials to open direct negotiations with Lebanon for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of peace.

According to a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office on X, Netanyahu said the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon to initiate talks with Israel amid continued strikes by Israeli forces on the country. “In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed at the Government meeting yesterday to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible”, the statement stated. The statement also noted that Israel “appreciates the call” made by Lebanese Prime Minister to demilitarise Beirut, signalling a possible shift in diplomatic engagement between the two sides.

“The negotiations will focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishing of peaceful relations
between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates the call made today by the Prime Minister of Lebanon to demilitarise Beirut”, the statement added.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said that a ceasefire with Israel remains the only viable solution to the ongoing situation in the country, noting that the ceasefire proposal and the initiation of direct negotiations with Israel have already begun and have so far received a “positive response. The only solution to the current situation in Lebanon is to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon”, he said, while addressing the media outlets.

The developments come as the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance, with Iran stating that the truce also includes the halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon. However, both US and Israel have maintained that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, a disagreement that has further complicated diplomatic efforts and heightened the risk of the truce collapsing.

In a statement, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office rebuked Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, stating that his “call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous” and slammed Pakistan’s government over its conduct. “Pakistan Defence Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace”, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office asserted. This comes after Khawaja Asif, in a post on X, called Israel “evil and a curse for humanity” accusing it of committing “genocide” in Lebanon while peace negotiations are underway.

“Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon. Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated”, he said. “I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European Jews burn in hell”, he had added.

The Pakistan Defence Minister’s statement has put the fragile ceasefire at more risk, even before the
commencement of the negotiations in Islamabad. This adds more embarrassment after Pakistan’s fumble in clearly defining the terms of the two-week ceasefire. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif had claimed that Lebanon was also a part of the peace deal, a claim that was firmly dismissed by both US President Donald Trump and Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Furthermore, in a strong-worded response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rebuked Pakistan over its Defence Minister’s statement, calling Jewish state “cancerous”, which Sa’ar said is “calling for Israel’s annihilation. Israel views very gravely these blatant antisemitic blood libels from a government claiming to ‘mediate peace’. Calling the Jewish state ‘cancerous’ is effectively calling for its annihilation. Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction”, Sa’ar said in a post on X.

Team Maverick.