Hezbollah, the Iran‑backed militia and political movement in Lebanon, rejected the terms of a US‑backed ceasefire it says is a surrender, a statement that came after Israel and Lebanon announced a renewal of their fragile ceasefire with new “pilot” security zones.
In a strongly‑worded statement, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called the negotiations “futile” and “humiliating” for Lebanon and said the deal was rejected by ‘a broad segment’ of the Lebanese public. He said the agreement amounted to surrender and would only serve Israel’s objectives.
The ceasefire, agreed after a fourth round of US‑mediated talks in Washington, hinges on Hezbollah withdrawing all its operatives from a 30‑km zone along the southern Lebanese border. The United States is to help establish “pilot” zones controlled exclusively by the Lebanese Armed Forces, but the agreement does not yet show where these zones would be located.
Local reactions were largely negative. Residents of the Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold, echoed Qassem’s criticism, saying a truce from one side alone is not enough and would be “surrender” rather than peace.
Despite the signing of the deal, the Israeli Defence Minister said that the military would continue “operations on the ground” to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, and the state‑run National News Agency reported that Israeli air strikes hit towns in southern Lebanon after the agreement.
