A 21-day cease-fire proposal in Lebanon has strained U.S.-Israel relations after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected it. As Netanyahu headed to New York for a UN address, his office stated he “did not even respond” to the U.S. and France’s proposal, instructing the military to continue fighting Hezbollah. This rejection followed a U.S.-EU joint statement endorsing the truce, which the White House called an “important breakthrough.” Despite U.S. claims of prior consultation, officials noted Israel’s consistent resistance, viewing a truce as advantageous to Hezbollah and counterproductive to resettling displaced Israelis.