Ceasefire possible? Hezbollah leader says yes, with conditions for Israel
Naim Qassem - leader of the Hezbollah militants (Photo: from open sources)
Naim Qassem, who leads the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, stated that he is open to cooperating with the Lebanese government on a ceasefire with Israel, but under certain difficult conditions, reports the NYT.
Celebrating the ceasefire, the Lebanese militant leader Naim Qassem said that Hezbollah would keep its fighters on alert. He listed five conditions for maintaining peace with Israel, many of which repeat the group's long-standing demands that are difficult to fulfill.
Qassem's conditions included a permanent cessation of Israeli attacks on Lebanese targets and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. The NYT emphasizes that this will be a challenging task.
Last month, Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran. Jerusalem responded with a large-scale ground invasion of southern Lebanon, encircled the militants, and made it clear that its forces would occupy a significant portion of territory even after the current conflict ends.
Although Qassem stated that Hezbollah would remain militarily ready for any Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, on Thursday, the US State Department said that under the ceasefire agreement, Lebanon and Israel reiterated the position that the group, which is also a political party, should not bear arms.
However, the disarmament of Hezbollah has been a long-awaited goal. The Lebanese government does not have direct control over these militants, who resist surrendering their weapons and are considered more powerful than the country's army.
After a previous US‑mediated ceasefire ended the earlier conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, Israel was supposed to withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah was supposed to disarm. Neither happened.
"A cease-fire cannot be one-sided; it must be observed by both parties," said the Hezbollah leader.
He added that the group will not agree to a repeat of 15 months of patience in the face of Israeli aggression, waiting for diplomacy that yielded nothing.
Qassem also noted that peace will depend on the return of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who were displaced from their homes by the conflict. But continued Israeli presence could prolong their displacement.
According to Lebanese authorities, about 2,300 Lebanese were killed in the latest war. Also, according to Israeli authorities, at least 13 Israeli soldiers and two civilians were killed.
On Thursday, Lebanon and Israel reached a ceasefire under which attacks on Hezbollah were supposed to stop. However, the very next day, Israel struck the group in southern Lebanon, explaining its move as self‑defense, which is permitted under the ceasefire regime.
The ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel regarding Hezbollah was brokered by the US on April 16. Washington needed to calm the conflict because Hezbollah is an Iran‑backed force, and any active moves by it would threaten the fragile ceasefire between Tehran and the US.
