Hezbollah rejects partial ceasefire proposal, warns of stronger response

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he had secured commitments from both sides intended to ease regional tensions.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A senior Hezbollah official said Tuesday that the group would reject any partial ceasefire arrangement with Israel, pushing back against a reported US-backed proposal that would require Hezbollah to halt attacks on northern Israel in exchange for Israel refraining from striking Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Mahmoud Qomati, deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, said the organization would not accept the reported framework and warned that any Israeli action against Beirut’s southern suburbs would prompt a stronger response.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), which cited a written statement from Qomati received by AFP, the Hezbollah official said any Israeli “aggression against” Beirut’s southern suburbs could trigger “a deeper and stronger response” from the group.

The remarks came amid ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he had secured commitments from both sides intended to ease regional tensions.

Trump’s comments followed a statement issued by the Lebanese presidency, which cited the Lebanese embassy in Washington as saying Lebanese authorities had confirmed Hezbollah’s acceptance of a US proposal calling for a “mutual cessation of attacks” with Israel.

Qomati’s statement appeared to challenge reports that Hezbollah had accepted a limited arrangement tied specifically to attacks on northern Israel and the status of Beirut’s southern suburbs.

A new round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon is currently taking place in Washington. Despite those discussions, military activity continued overnight and into Tuesday.