Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Thursday appeared to reject a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, warning that the Iran-backed terrorist group would continue attacking as long as Israeli operations persist.
“We have not given anyone a commitment not to resist aggression and respond to it,” Qassem said in remarks carried by Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar, adding that “as long as the aggression continues, we will confront it with all the strength we possess.”
Qassem said any ceasefire must include a full halt to Israeli military activity across Lebanon and a withdrawal of Israeli forces, alongside the return of displaced residents and reconstruction efforts. He described Lebanese sovereignty as the “primary objective,” calling for “halting Israeli aggression in all its forms—air, land and sea,” and deploying the Lebanese army south of the Litani River, according to Al Manar.
He also denounced U.S.-led diplomacy and any efforts to disarm Hezbollah, calling direct negotiations a “farce” and the so-called Washington Declaration “a roadmap for the extermination of a segment of the Lebanese people.”
Qassem warned that “as long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue,” rejecting any arrangement that would limit Hezbollah’s terrorist activity while Israeli strikes continue.
