Hezbollah rejects truce

ceasefire conundrum | Fighting will continue in southern Lebanon, says Israel; no commitment, declares militant outfit 

Beirut: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has rejected the latest ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and the Lebanese government, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal.

On Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV on Thursday, the Iran-backed group’s leader said the agreement’s demand that Hezbollah fighters leave sou­thern Lebanon under fire amounted to “surrender, defe­at and achieving the enemy’s goals”. He described the Leb­anese government’s negotiations with Israel as “shameless”. “What we are concerned about is an end to the aggression, a ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal,” he said. “We did not make any commitment to any party to stop resisting as long as there is occupation.”

Qassem warned that Israeli areas across the border would remain under threat as long as Lebanese villages and civilians came under attack from the Israeli army.

The agreement was announced in Washington on Wednesday after Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. Also, a UN peacekeeper was reportedly killed in Lebanon on Thursday, while two others were injured in Lebanon.  

IDF WILL NOT PULL OUT, says DEF MIN KATZ

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military would continue ground operations in southern Lebanon despite the US-backed ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon.

Katz said, “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will, at this stage, continue its fire and ground operations, remain in the security zone in Lebanon up to the yellow line, including in the Beaufort area, and without the return of the population, while continuing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure on the ground.” 

IDF warned residents to “refrain from heading south of the Zahrani River”, saying mi­litary operations would continue in southern Lebanon.

IRAN WILL RESPOND IF BEIRUT HIT, AMERICAN TALKS ON: ARAGHCHI

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would respond if Israel attacked Beirut, saying Tehran had informed all parties it would not tolerate an assault on the Lebanese capital.

In an interview with Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen, Araghchi said Iran's armed forces were ready to strike Israel if Beirut came under attack.