Israel ambassador to France: war is 'ahead of schedule' — no ceasefire talks with Hezbollah planned

Israel's Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka told French television station BFMTV that Israel is 'ahead of schedule' in reaching its war objectives against Iran. 'We are ahead of schedule in reaching our war objectives in Iran, such as weakening the regime so that the Iranian people take control of their own fate,' Zarka said — echoing Netanyahu's 'breaking bones' framing. On Lebanon, Zarka said the Lebanese government has not been able to disarm Hezbollah yet, and that he is 'not aware of any decision from Israel to negotiate an end to its conflict with the terror group.' The statements signal that Israel has no intention of opening ceasefire negotiations on either the Iran or Hezbollah front. The 'ahead of schedule' claim aligns with Trump's statement at the Republican fundraiser that the war is 'very far ahead' of his 4-5 week timeline. Both suggest the US-Israel coalition believes it is winning — but is defining victory as regime change in Iran, not a negotiated settlement. This positions Israel against France's diplomatic push for a Lebanon ceasefire track.