Hezbollah rejects Lebanon-Israel ceasefire terms

Hezbollah has rejected the terms of a ceasefire proposed in US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel, demanding a more comprehensive agreement. The Iran-backed group stated that any ceasefire must be complete, without dividing the south from the rest of Lebanon, and must halt Israeli actions.

"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," said Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's leader. He also called on the Lebanese government, which holds limited influence over the powerful Shiite group, to end direct negotiations with Israel.

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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.

Israel and the Lebanese government had agreed that the proposed ceasefire was contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the withdrawal of all its operatives from the South Litani Sector, an area approximately 30 kilometers north of the border. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz indicated that Israeli forces would remain near the border and would not permit Lebanese citizens to return to their homes in the south.

Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the US, Germany, and several Arab nations, maintains its resistance will continue as long as the occupation persists. The EU lists only its armed wing as a terrorist group.

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As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue.