Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire plan, hits Beirut again

The US and France proposed an immediate 21-day truce on Wednesday

A man carries a damaged bicycle at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Saksakieh, south Lebanon. Picture: AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari

Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally in Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.

Despite Israel's stance, the US and France sought to keep prospects alive for an immediate 21-day truce they proposed on Wednesday, and said negotiations continued, including on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York.