Hezbollah rejects Israeli conditions for truce in Lebanon | Conflict in the Middle East

The leader of Lebanese Hezbollah delivered a combative speech on Wednesday, warning that Israel could not impose its conditions for a ceasefire in the war in Lebanon, where US envoy Amos Hochstein held negotiations before traveling to Israel.

Israeli officials on Wednesday demanded the right to strike Lebanese Hezbollah as part of a ceasefire agreement.

The United States and France are increasing efforts to obtain a truce in this conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

The Shiite movement opened a front against Israel the day after the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023 which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, saying it was acting in support of the Palestinian Islamist movement.

The Lebanese movement and the Israeli army entered into open war on September 23, and the Israeli army has been carrying out incursions into southern Lebanon since September 30.

The American ambassador to Beirut, Lisa Johnson, presented to the Lebanese authorities last week a 13-point plan providing for a 60-day truce and the deployment of the army in southern Lebanon, one of Hezbollah’s strongholds.

Arriving in Beirut on Tuesday, Mr. Hochstein reported on Wednesday further progress after discussions with the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, who liaises with Hezbollah. He went to Israel in the evening.

Israel cannot impose its conditions on uswarned the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah Naïm Qassem in a speech broadcast on Wednesday.

He added that Hezbollah demanded complete cessation of aggression in Lebanon. The Israeli enemy cannot penetrate whenever it wants in Lebanese territory in the event of a ceasefire, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Israel will lead[it] operations military against Hezbollah even in the event of a truce.

His Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said on Wednesday that any agreement should leave his country with freedom of action against the Lebanese movement.

Mr. Qassem also warned that his movement would aim the center of Tel Avivin response to recent Israeli strikes on the capital Beirut.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported 10 deaths in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah announced that it had carried out several attacks in northern Israel.

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have caused more than 3,550 deaths in Lebanon since October 2023, most since the start of the massive Israeli bombing campaign on September 23. On the Israeli side, 79 soldiers and 46 civilians were killed in 13 months.

How will Resolution 1701 be implemented?

Israel says it wants to distance Hezbollah from the border regions of southern Lebanon to allow the return of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced by the movement’s fire. In Lebanon, tens of thousands of residents have also been displaced.

The Lebanese army announced on Wednesday the death of a soldier in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, bringing to 18 the number of its soldiers killed since September 23.

The Israeli army, for its part, reported the death of three soldiers, including a 70-year-old reservist, killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, bringing to 52 the number of its soldiers killed since the start of its ground offensive against Lebanese Hezbollah on September 30.

France stressed on Tuesday the need to respect UN Security Council Resolution 1701.HIM which marked the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

This resolution stipulates that only the Lebanese army and the Blue Helmets must be deployed on the southern border of Lebanon, implying a withdrawal of the Hezbollah sector, but also that of Israeli soldiers from Lebanese territory.

Incessant bombings in Gaza and American veto

On Wednesday, at least 17 people, including a baby and a teenager, were killed in the Palestinian territory in new raids by the Israeli army, the local Civil Defense announced.

The Israeli army, for its part, reported the death of one of its soldiers in fighting in the north.

The United States on Wednesday prevented the Security Council fromHIM to call for a ceasefire immediate, unconditional and permanent in Gaza, a new veto in support of their Israeli ally.

Hamas subsequently accused Washington of being directly responsible of a genocidal war in Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority, based in the occupied West Bank, considered that this veto encourages Israel to continue its crimes.

While the humanitarian situation in Gaza is very serious, the Jordanian army announced on Wednesday that it had sent eight helicopters loaded with seven tons of aid.