Hezbollah Leader Signals Cease-fire Readiness, Warns Israel Over Sovereignty
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Wednesday that the group has reviewed and provided feedback on a US-drafted cease-fire proposal to end its year-long conflict with Israel, signaling conditional approval. Speaking in a televised pre-recorded address, Qassem stated that a truce now depends on Israel’s response and the “seriousness” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“These comments were presented to the US envoy, and they were discussed with him in detail,” Qassem said, referring to feedback shared during talks with US envoy Amos Hochstein. “The comments we presented show that we approve this track of indirect negotiations through Speaker [Nabih] Berri.”
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Hochstein, who spent two days meeting Lebanese officials, including Hezbollah ally and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, announced earlier Wednesday that he would travel to Israel to work toward finalizing a cease-fire agreement.
While Qassem expressed cautious optimism, he warned that Israel would not be permitted to continue strikes in Lebanon after a cease-fire is reached, citing sovereignty concerns. “Any strikes on central Beirut will be met with Hezbollah fire onto Tel Aviv,” he warned.
