Thursday 04 / June / 2026
Hezbollah rejected the terms of a ceasefire struck by the Lebanese and Israeli governments in US-mediated talks.
"The ceasefire must be comprehensive, without a separation between the south and the rest of Lebanon, and without the Israeli enemy having the freedom to kill," the Iran-backed group's leader, Naim Qassem, said.
He also urged Lebanon's government, which is not formally involved in the conflict and has limited influence over Hezbollah, to end direct negotiations with Israel.
Israel and Lebanon's government said the proposed "ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector." The Litani River runs around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon near the border and would not allow Lebanese citizens to return to their homes in the south of the country.
"As long as the occupation exists, the resistance will continue," Hezbollah's Qassem said.
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.
