Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  US, France push for temporary cease-fire between Hezbollah, Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already rejected the proposal, reportedly after pressure from factions in his government.© APThe proposal calls for a 21-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah while negotiations would continue throughout that period to reach a permanent agreement.  That agreement aims to enforce a military withdrawal along the Blue Line, a boundary between the two countries.  Along with the U.S. and France, the proposal was signed by Australia, Canada, European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.  But Netanyahu said he would "continue fighting with full force" against Hezbollah. "The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved," he said in a statement.  The U.S. is directly pressuring the government of Lebanon to enforce the proposal. Neither Lebanon nor Hezbollah had an immediate comment Thursday.  Israel has been fighting Hezbollah for some 11 months after the Lebanese militant group began firing across the border on Oct. 8 in an operation tied to the Israel-Hamas war.   The U.S. has been trying for months to reach a diplomatic agreement that would resolve the crisis in the north, which is becoming a more heated battleground now that large operations against Hamas in Gaza have wound down.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the proposal was coordinated with the Israeli government. "I’m just laying out the facts and what we know, and what we want to avoid," she told reporters. "We do not believe an all-out war is the answer."Jean-Pierre said conversations are ongoing in New York with Israeli officials. Netanyahu and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer were briefed on the proposal Tuesday and Wednesday, expressing initial approval, according to Israeli news outlet Haaretz.  But Netanyahu reversed course Thursday while en route to New York for the United Nations General Assembly after pressure from factions in his government and his office released a statement Thursday with formal opposition.  White House national security spokesperson John Kirby added later Thursday that the proposal and statement released Wednesday "wasn't just drawn up in a vacuum" and would not have been published if Israel was not "supportive of the goal."  "It was done after careful consultation, not only with the countries have signed on to it, but Israel itself," he said, adding there was "every reason" to expect the Israeli government was fully aware of "every word in it."  Israel is increasingly concerned about the some 60,000 displaced residents from the north and has made it a war goal to return them home to a safe area. The past week has seen intense Israeli attacks on Lebanon, including a Monday strike that killed more than 500 people. Israel's top military commander warned this week that troops were preparing for a ground offensive in Lebanon.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday that "getting into a full-scale war is not the way to achieve " Israel's objectives.   "There’s no way in that situation that people are going to be able to go back," he said, pushing for "a diplomatic resolution that creates that environment to get people home."  Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Harris slams ‘proposals for surrender’ in appearance with ZelenskyVice President Harris on Thursday said so-called Ukraine peace plans from “some” in the United States are proposals for surrender during an appearance alongside the country’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, who has come under Republican fire this week. “There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would …  Full Story  Nevada Democrats add to calls for Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles The Democratic delegation of Nevada lawmakers in Congress is calling on President Biden to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-provided, long-range weapons to strike beyond Russia’s border, saying such operational bans hinder Kyiv’s path to victory and prolong suffering inflicted by Moscow. In a letter exclusively obtained by The Hill, the Democratic senators from Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, joined by their House counterparts Reps. ...  Full Story   US sanctions cryptocurrency exchange network accused of aiding Russia The U.S. government on Thursday charged two Russian nationals and sanctioned a virtual currency exchange in an effort to crack down on transnational cybercrime involving cryptocurrency. The departments of Justice, State and Treasury announced the coordinated effort against Russian nationals Timur Shakhmametov and Sergey Ivanov as well Cryptex, a virtual currency exchange accused of servicing Russia-based cyber criminals ...  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  The United Nations General Assembly will end the formal debate of its 79th session in New York on Monday. In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Democrats boycott Mills, Crane testimony at first Trump shooting task force hearingDemocrats on the House task force formed to investigate the assassination attempt against former President Trump boycotted the final portion of the panel’s first hearing on Thursday, which featured testimony from two rabble-rousing Republicans who are leading their own “independent” investigation into the shooting. Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Center for Strategic and International Studies talks with Army officials on drones for a 3 p.m. online event. The National Defense Industrial Association hosts its last day of a conference on future military capabilities. The Hudson Institute looks at the history of U.S. grand strategy during a 10 a.m. in-person event. The Wilson Center chats on nuclear disarmament and anti-nuclear activism for a 10 a.m. online event. The Middle East Institute analyzes the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel during a 10 a.m. online event.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: US, EU near deal on $50 billion Ukraine aid using Russian assets (Bloomberg) China’s newest nuclear submarine sank, setting back its military modernization (The Wall Street Journal)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Appeals panel signals skepticism over NY civil fraud case against Trump A New York appeals panel on Thursday appeared wary of the state’s civil fraud case against former President Trump that ended in a $464 million judgment … Read more Boebert, Colorado reporter spar: ‘Oh, you’re going to fact-check me during the interview’ Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) sparred with a reporter from Colorado Public Radio (CPR) over climate change, immigration and the general tone and content … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: Biden must end our dangerous dependence on China and Taiwan for weapons and ammoWinning the war, the Ukraine way Overdue and underwhelming: House GOP skips key China bills during ‘China Week’  You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe