Hezbollah on Saturday rejected another agreement Lebanon made seeking to end the conflict with Israel, saying it crossed “all red lines.”
Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed terrorist group that dominates much of Lebanon, which borders Israel. Israel invaded Lebanon to fight Hezbollah earlier this year, after the terrorist group launched strikes on Israel in retaliation for attacking Iran alongside the U.S.
Israel agreed to a landmark, tentative security deal aiming to set it on the path to peace with Lebanon this week. That framework agreement to secure “lasting peace and security” was negotiated between the Lebanese and Israeli governments with the U.S. serving as a mediator. But it could now be in limbo after Hezbollah, which controls parts of Lebanon, said it would not abide by the agreement. Similar to reasons he has given in the past for rejecting and breaking ceasefires, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem accused the Lebanese government of making unilateral concessions and criticized provisions tying Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament.
“We did not leave the battlefield in the most difficult circumstances, and we will not leave it,” Qassem said, calling the deal “null and void,” and pledging to continue operations.
Qassem’s comments signal that the effort to end Israel’s war in Lebanon faces fierce resistance, a move that could derail the United States’ temporary ceasefire with Iran. Iran has vowed that a peace deal with the U.S. is contingent on unconditional Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
When the framework agreement between Jerusalem and Beirut was announced earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it marked “a severe blow to Iran.”
“[Iran has] no role in southern Lebanon — neither you, nor Hezbollah nor any other terrorist organization,” Netanyahu said as he lauded the framework, which could lead to a path of historic diplomatic normalization between Lebanon and Israel.
Qassem has repeatedly pledged that Hezbollah will not stand down, including on June 4 after another agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon. At the time, he reiterated he would not abide by the agreement, saying it would mean “surrender, defeat, and achieving the enemy’s goals.”