Beirut [Lebanon], April 19 : Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem asserted on Saturday that the current 10-day truce with Israel cannot be a unilateral arrangement.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, Qassem vowed that his fighters are prepared to retaliate against any Israeli strikes targeting Lebanese territory.
In his initial response on Saturday to the ceasefire brokered by the United States, Qassem characterised the diplomatic process as "an insult to our country and our homeland, Lebanon, that America dictates its text and speaks on behalf of the Lebanese government."
These remarks follow a significant diplomatic development in Washington, where ambassadors from Lebanon and Israel held meetings ahead of anticipated direct negotiations, the first such talks between the two nations in decades.
Speaking in a televised statement, the Hezbollah chief clarified his group's stance on the cessation of hostilities. Al Jazeera quoted Qassem as stating, "A ceasefire means a complete cessation of all hostilities. Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their hands on the trigger, and they will respond to violations accordingly."
He further emphasised that the truce must be mutual to remain valid. "There is no ceasefire from the side of the resistance only, it must be from both sides," Qassem added, according to Al Jazeera.
The Hezbollah leader also voiced strong opposition to the recent diplomatic engagement in the United States. "Enough of subjecting Lebanon to these humiliations by negotiating directly with the Israeli enemy and listening to its dictates, and by the shameful spectacle in Washington," he remarked.
This rare direct engagement in Washington earlier this week culminated in an announcement by US President Donald Trump, who stated that both Israeli and Lebanese leadership had consented to a 10-day ceasefire.
Under the specific terms of the agreement, Israel maintains its "right to take all necessary measures in self-defence, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks."
Conversely, Lebanon is required to take "meaningful steps" to block Hezbollah and other "rogue non-state armed groups" from launching operations against Israeli targets.
While President Trump has issued a public warning to Hezbollah to "act nicely" throughout the duration of the truce, the group has countered with its own warning, stating their operatives have kept "hands on trigger."
The ceasefire landscape remains complex due to conflicting narratives regarding its scope.
When the truce was initially announced on April 7, Iran claimed the US President had endorsed a 10-point proposal that included an "end of hostilities" against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
However, the official US statement lacked any mention of Lebanon, a discrepancy that became prominent when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the deal "did not cover Lebanon".
Following the Israeli stance, President Trump cautioned Tehran to respect the "real agreement" as tensions persist over the geographical limits of the truce.
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