Hezbollah firmly rejected a ceasefire proposal backed by the United States following discussions between Lebanon and Israel, while Israeli forces maintained airstrikes and military operations in southern Lebanon. The US announced that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire under which Hezbollah, supported by Iran, would cease attacks and withdraw fighters from areas near the Israeli border.
However, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem condemned the plan, emphasizing that the group was not involved in the negotiations. He characterized the US-backed agreement as a strategy aimed at the destruction of part of the Lebanese population and subjugation of the rest. Qassem declared that resistance would persist as long as Israeli occupation continued.
Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2 after Hezbollah launched attacks in support of Iran amidst its conflict with the US and Israel. Despite multiple ceasefire announcements by Washington since April, fighting has continued unabated. This ongoing conflict remains a significant barrier to diplomatic efforts seeking to reduce wider regional tensions. Iran has repeatedly insisted that Israeli military actions in Lebanon must cease as part of any comprehensive deal.
Qassem stressed that any ceasefire must address the situation in southern Lebanon, where Israel has established a so-called security zone intended to shield northern Israeli communities from Hezbollah attacks. He warned that northern Israeli towns would remain vulnerable as long as Lebanese villages suffered bombardment and destruction.
In a related statement, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force asserted that the minimum demand from Hezbollah was an Israeli withdrawal to positions held before the current conflict and prior to Israeli troop entry into southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz affirmed that military operations would continue despite the ceasefire announcement. Katz stated that Israel would persist with its ground operations and airstrikes aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure.
The Israeli military issued warnings to residents in southern Lebanon, confirming ongoing operations against Hezbollah targets. Security sources reported several Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, with Lebanon’s National News Agency reporting at least five fatalities in strikes on the town of Sohmor. Drones were also observed flying over Beirut.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the US-proposed ceasefire framework as a final chance to achieve a broad and lasting truce. Speaking before Hezbollah’s formal rejection, Aoun noted the agreement could be implemented within a day if all parties consented.
The US State Department outlined that the ceasefire requires Hezbollah to completely halt military actions and withdraw fighters from the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River. Notably, the statement did not mention any Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Katz confirmed that Israeli troops would remain in the security zone, including around the strategic Beaufort Castle area captured recently by Israeli forces. The ongoing Israeli military campaign has displaced approximately 1.2 million people, including hundreds of thousands from southern Lebanon, Lebanese authorities.
Under the ceasefire framework, Lebanon and Israel agreed to establish “pilot zones” where the Lebanese Armed Forces would exercise exclusive control, excluding all non-state armed groups. Lebanese troops had already been deployed to parts of southern Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 and announced control over territory between the border and the Litani River earlier this year.
A Lebanese official revealed that the government plans to use the Beaufort Castle area as a model for future zones under army control. President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have spent the past year promoting the gradual and peaceful disarmament of Hezbollah, a policy that has heightened tensions between the government and the group.
In Israel, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the ceasefire plan, labeling it a “serious mistake” and calling for a cabinet vote. Ben-Gvir argued that Hezbollah would not withdraw from areas south of the Litani River and questioned the Lebanese army’s capacity to enforce the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also faced criticism from political rivals and some coalition members accusing him of yielding too much to US pressure.
Separately, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced that one of its peacekeepers died on Thursday from injuries sustained when mortar rounds struck a UN position near Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon late Wednesday night.
