Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker: Hezbollah to Withdraw South Lebanon if Israel Pulls Out
"I agree to Hezbollah's withdrawal from south of the Litani River in parallel with an Israeli withdrawal from the areas it occupies and a complete and comprehensive ceasefire without conditions," Berri, who serves as a mediator for Hezbollah, said in a statement.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Lebanese Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri said on Friday that the Iran-backed group is prepared to withdraw from areas south of the Litani River if Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory and a comprehensive ceasefire is implemented.
"I agree to Hezbollah's withdrawal from south of the Litani River in parallel with an Israeli withdrawal from the areas it occupies and a complete and comprehensive ceasefire without conditions," Berri, who serves as a mediator for Hezbollah, said in a statement.
The remarks come amid ongoing fighting despite diplomatic efforts to end months of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. A ceasefire proposal agreed to by the Lebanese and Israeli governments was announced on Thursday, but Hezbollah has so far rejected the plan, with the group's leader, Naim Qassem, insisting on a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and a comprehensive ceasefire.
Violence continued overnight as Israeli airstrikes struck the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, killing seven people, according to a Lebanese civil defense source. One strike near Jabal Amel Hospital killed four people and wounded seven others, while another attack elsewhere in the city left three dead and five injured, including two children.
The Israeli military also warned residents of three villages north of the Litani River of impending operations in the area.
Meanwhile, Israel announced its first military fatality since the ceasefire initiative was unveiled. The military said Captain Eitan Shmuel Lemberg, 21, was killed in combat in southern Lebanon after a Hezbollah missile struck an Israeli tank.
Additional Israeli strikes on Thursday killed five people in eastern Lebanon and three more near Tyre, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The attacks also wounded eight people, including three children and two women.
The continued exchanges of fire have highlighted the fragility of ceasefire efforts, as both sides remain engaged in hostilities despite ongoing diplomatic attempts to secure a lasting truce.