Netanyahu Rejects Calls for a Temporary Israeli Ceasefire in Gaza

TEL AVIV—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed growing international pressure for a pause in Israel’s strikes on Hamas, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to do more to protect civilians caught in the crossfire of its fight against Hamas, and hospitals in the enclave began to run out of fuel.

The head of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, meanwhile, vowed to step up military pressure on Israel in the coming days, though he stopped short of calling for an all-out attack. Concern has been building in recent days over whether Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, would launch a separate conflict to Israel’s north after the militants exchanged fire with Israeli forces in recent weeks. The group has also been facing pressure from within its own ranks to begin a new offensive.

“For those who say that Hezbollah should start a war in the entire region, I say wait. These are the beginnings,” Nasrallah said Friday. “More actions will be taken against Israel from several different fronts and this issue will become more obvious in the next few days.”

Blinken met with members of Israel’s government, including Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, in his latest visit to the country since the war began, and sat in on an extended meeting with Israel’s war cabinet to discuss strategy and efforts to mitigate a broader conflict. Before the visit, U.S. officials said Blinken was expected to raise the issue of a pause in fighting among other measures, U.S. officials said.