Hezbollah Rejects Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire, Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire after a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks at the State Department, with the deal contingent on a “complete cessation” of Hezbollah fire and the “evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives” from areas south of the Litani River.

“Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington, DC”

Al Jazeera

The agreement also calls for “pilot zones” in which the Lebanese Armed Forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors,” while the BBC reported Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem said negotiations were “futile” and “humiliating” for Lebanon.

Al Jazeera

Hezbollah’s rejection came as the BBC described the mood in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahieh, where storekeeper Sami said, “You cannot have a ceasefire from one side, it's going to be an all side or no ceasefire.”

The BBC further reported that the agreement is contingent on the “evacuation of all [Hezbollah] operatives” from an area about 30km (19 miles) north of the Israeli border and the Litani River, currently occupied by Israeli ground forces.

The dispute over Lebanon’s ceasefire is tied to Iran’s position in the sources, with the BBC saying the U.S. hoped for a boost to its efforts to strike a peace deal with Iran, which insists any agreement must include peace in Lebanon too.

Hezbollah rejected the U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework, and the Guardian quoted Naim Qassem calling it a “roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people” while demanding a complete ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

The Guardian also reported Qassem saying, “As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue,” and added that he demanded an end to “this farce and humiliation called direct negotiations.”

Al-Hurra

In Washington, the Al Jazeera report said the Hezbollah official response was passed to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally acting as an intermediary, after Qassem delivered the position in a televised message.

The BBC reported Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military would “for the time being, continue its fire and operations on the ground” to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area.”

The BBC described how Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the ceasefire “could be implemented within 24 hours of its final approval” by all concerned parties, while the two countries’ representatives were set to meet again on 22 June for further talks.

As the Lebanon ceasefire talks intersect with the wider Iran conflict, Al Jazeera reported that oil prices fell after the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement, with Brent futures down $1.14, or 1.2%, to $96.67 per barrel at 10:22 GMT and West Texas Intermediate crude down 90 cents, or 0.9%, to $95.12.

Al Jazeera said trading was cautious and the price decline was modest, while also linking the move to hopes for a broader deal to end the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran that could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guardian described how Hezbollah’s rejection of the Lebanon truce raised questions for regional peace negotiations, noting that the group’s stance echoed demands from Tehran that Israel withdraw to its prewar positions.

In the Reuters material carried by the Guardian’s framing, the Global Banking & Finance Review said Hezbollah’s rejection “undermin[ed] U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to halt fighting there to forge peace with Tehran,” and tied Iran’s condition for peace to a ceasefire in Lebanon.

The Guardian also quoted Iran’s Quds Force head Esmail Qaani saying, “Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us,” and described Tehran’s insistence that Lebanon is an “integral part of any ceasefire and any final agreement.”