Hezbollah Rejects U.S.-Brokered Truce, Demands Comprehensive Ceasefire and Israeli Withdrawal

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Thursday rejected a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal and called for a comprehensive truce that includes a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

In a written message broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel, Qassem said any ceasefire agreement must apply to all of Lebanon and not be limited to the country's south.

"The ceasefire must be comprehensive, without a separation between the south and the rest of Lebanon, and without the Israeli enemy having the freedom to kill," he stated.

His remarks came a day after Israeli and Lebanese envoys concluded a fourth round of U.S.-mediated negotiations in Washington. Following the talks, a joint statement announced a proposed ceasefire conditioned on Hezbollah ending its attacks and withdrawing all operatives from the area south of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border.

However, a Hezbollah official told AFP on Thursday that the group had rejected the agreement. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the position had been communicated to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally who has been acting as an intermediary in the negotiations and reportedly shares the group's stance.

The rejection comes despite Lebanese President Joseph Aoun describing the proposed agreement as the country's "last chance" to secure a comprehensive ceasefire.

Qassem also criticized the ongoing negotiations, urging the Lebanese government to end what he described as "the farce and humiliation called direct talks" with Israel.

He warned that as long as Israeli operations continue against Lebanese villages, Israeli communities would remain vulnerable.

"As long as our villages are unsafe — being bombed, destroyed, and our people killed — the settlements are unsafe," he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that military operations would continue despite the diplomatic efforts.

"Our army will, at this stage, continue its fire and ground operations, remain in the security zone, and continue dismantling terrorist infrastructure," Katz said.

He added that Israeli forces would retain the freedom, with U.S. backing, to carry out strikes in Beirut in response to attacks on Israeli communities and territory.

Qassem rejected calls for Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon, arguing that such a move would amount to "surrender and defeat."

"As long as the aggression continues, we will confront it with all our might," he said, underscoring the significant obstacles still facing efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.