Hezbollah Rejects Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Agreement, Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal, Emphasizes No Commitments Made to Anyone

【Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi】On the 4th local time, Hezbollah leader Qassem rejected the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. Qassem stated that as long as the Israeli occupation continues, Hezbollah's resistance will persist. Just before he made this statement, representatives from Lebanon and Israel had reached a ceasefire agreement in Washington. On the 5th, the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on multiple locations in southern Lebanon again. The day before, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon confirmed that a peacekeeping soldier was killed by shelling in southern Lebanon.

According to reports from Lebanon's Al-Manar TV on the 4th, Qassem fiercely criticized the direct negotiations between the Lebanese government and Israel. In a statement, he said that making the disarmament of Hezbollah a primary goal of any agreement means weakening Lebanon's power and poses an existential threat to the Lebanese who insist on resistance. Qassem stated that Hezbollah is only concerned with a complete cessation of aggression, a ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. He said, "We have never promised anyone not to resist aggression or not to respond. As long as the aggression continues, we will use all our strength to counterattack."

The signal released by the Hezbollah leader is a response to the ceasefire agreement reached the day before between Lebanon and Israel. The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the premise of the ceasefire agreement reached between the Israeli and Lebanese governments under U.S. mediation is that Hezbollah must cease fire first and withdraw its armed personnel south of the Litani River. The report stated: "Hezbollah rejected it in less than 24 hours, throwing the prospects for a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and regional peace negotiations into uncertainty."

After Hezbollah rejected the U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, U.S. President Trump still stated on the 4th that "progress has been made" in ending the conflict in Lebanon. Trump also mentioned that he had communicated on this issue with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hezbollah.

Hours after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement saying that the Revolutionary Guard would fully support Hezbollah, stating, "Unless Israel withdraws from the occupied territories in Lebanon, peace in the region is impossible."

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, from Tehran's perspective, any agreement that ignores Lebanon can only manage part of the crisis and sow the seeds for future turmoil. If the U.S. seeks to ease tensions with Iran, it must pay attention to a series of factors that have caused the tensions. Qatar's Al Jazeera quoted the analysis of Assistant Professor Dessi from American University in Rome, stating that the current ceasefire agreement does not stipulate Israel's actions and contains no clauses that can limit its operations in southern Lebanon or end its occupation of Lebanese territory.

On the 5th, Israel again launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon. AFP reported that the Israeli Air Force issued evacuation warnings to nine villages, one of which had previously been largely unaffected by the fighting and had sheltered thousands of people displaced by the ongoing three-month war. AFP cited Lebanese media reports stating that the airstrikes resulted in six deaths, and hundreds of families fled these villages. Earlier that day, Israel attacked the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, resulting in seven deaths.

Additionally, according to The Times of Israel, on the 4th, an officer of the Israel Defense Forces was killed by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack in southern Lebanon. Following the attack, the Israel Defense Forces immediately stated that they had targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in the area from the air and artillery positions.

On the 4th, the UNIFIL stated that a peacekeeping soldier was injured by a mortar attack near the Marjeyoun area in southern Lebanon and later died from his injuries. Two other peacekeeping soldiers were injured in the same attack and sent to the hospital. The UNIFIL's statement did not specify who carried out the mortar attack. The European Union has approved an additional €100 million in aid to the Lebanese army to maintain the recently fragile ceasefire agreement.

The international community is concerned that the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel may become an empty talk. Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez wrote on social media on the 4th: "We strongly condemn acts of violence and extend our firmest support to all those who risk their lives under the UN flag to defend peace. We hope all parties fully comply with the ceasefire agreement announced yesterday (the 3rd) and cease hostilities. Peace is the only future."