Smoke ascends from the town of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon while Israeli forces persist in destroying houses, even with a temporary ceasefire in place. Anadolu/Getty Images
Hezbollah stated that the ceasefire in Lebanon “holds no significance given the ongoing Israeli aggressive actions,” marking the first comments from the militant group following the White House’s announcement of a continuation of the delicate truce overnight.
Any ceasefire not “directly connected to the Israeli exit from Lebanese territory reinforces the definite and ultimate right of the Lebanese people to oppose the occupation and remove it from our land,” stated the Iran-supported group.
Israel’s envoy to the US, Yechiel Leiter, stated Thursday that the military will maintain a “defensive stance” in southern Lebanon, despite the UN cautioning that the presence of Israeli forces breaches a longstanding resolution aimed at permanently halting assaults by all parties.
In another statement, Mohammad Raad, leader of the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, blamed mediators for creating a “deceptive plan” and “offering protection for Israeli aggression,” following a series of lethal Israeli military strikes in recent days.
“Any alleged ceasefire that allows the occupying enemy in Lebanon a unique exception to engage in combat… is not a ceasefire whatsoever,” Raad reiterated.
The initial six-point ceasefire plan facilitated by the US indicated that Israel would “maintain its right to execute all essential actions in self-defense.” The White House urged the Lebanese government then to stop Hezbollah “from executing attacks, operations, or hostile actions against Israeli targets.”
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