Hezbollah chief rejects conditional truce, demands full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon

Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem rejected a conditional truce on Thursday, calling instead for a comprehensive ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and warning of further attacks on northern Israel.

Leader rejects partial deal

Qassem said the proposed pause in fighting was insufficient and demanded that any ceasefire be comprehensive and prevent Israel from having “the freedom to kill.” He urged the Lebanese government to stop what he called “the farce and humiliation called direct talks” with Israel.

What Qassem warned would follow

The Hezbollah leader vowed that “as long as our villages are unsafe – being bombed, destroyed and our people killed – the settlements (north Israel) are unsafe.” He threatened northern Israel with new attacks as cross-border tensions rose.

Context: talks and previous ceasefires

The statement came after Lebanese and Israeli representatives agreed to a conditional ceasefire. Lebanese President said the agreement represented what he called “the last chance” for a durable end to the fighting. Qassem said Hezbollah pulling back would amount to “surrender and defeat.”

Recent violence and casualties

Lebanon has been drawn deeper into the wider Middle East war since Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2. A previous ceasefire announced on April 17 has been repeatedly breached, with Israeli troops operating inside Lebanese territory and militants continuing attacks on Israel.

In south Lebanon, a United Nations peacekeeper was killed and two others were wounded when one of its bases was hit. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the death, while Hezbollah rejected the accusation and offered condolences to the family of the soldier. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking via a spokesman, condemned the killing and called for an investigation.

The Lebanese state news agency reported strikes in more than 40 locations in Lebanon’s south and east. The health ministry said eight people were killed by Israeli strikes that day, five in eastern Lebanon and three near the southern city of Tyre.

Israeli military response

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army would “at this stage, continue its fire and ground operations… without the return of the population, while continuing to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.” He also said Israeli forces retain the “freedom of action, with American backing, to strike in Beirut in response to fire on Israeli communities and territory.”

The Israeli military said one of its soldiers “fell in combat” in southern Lebanon, and a military official told AFP the soldier was killed by a Hezbollah missile. The military earlier warned Lebanese not to cross the Zahrani River after declaring areas south of the river “combat zones.”

Reactions from regional players

Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Quds Force, insisted Israel withdraw to its pre-war positions in Lebanon as a “minimum demand.” Mohammad Chamseddine, from Beirut’s southern suburbs, described ceasefires as repeatedly violated and said he would not trust a truce until it was visible “on the ground.”

Investigation called after UN peacekeeper death

Following the hit on the UN base, the UNIFIL force confirmed the casualty and urged an inquiry. The incident adds to a rising toll: Israel has reported 27 soldiers killed in Lebanon since the start of the latest war, alongside one civilian contractor.