The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has emphatically rejected the terms of a US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Iran-backed group’s leader Naim Qassem said negotiations had been “futile” and “humiliating” for Lebanon, and rejected categorically by “broad segments of the Lebanese people”.
It comes after Israel and Lebanon announced a renewal of their fragile ceasefire with the creation of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday by the US State Department, the three countries said the deal was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah.
But responding on Thursday, the leader of Hezbollah – which was not part of the talks – said the “supposed ceasefire”, interpreted as Hezbollah halting fire and withdrawing fighters from the southern front with Israel, amounted to surrender and would fulfil Israel’s objectives.
The mood was similar on the streets of Beirut’s southern suburbs – a stronghold of Hezbollah, also known as Dahieh – with a storekeeper expressing doubts about the agreement.
Sami, who has run his business there for 25 years, told the BBC: “You cannot have a ceasefire from one side, it’s going to be an all side or no ceasefire.”
There had been strikes in Lebanon on Thursday, he said. If this was supposed to be a truce, what did that make it?
“This is surrender. This is not a peace agreement. This is a surrender agreement,” he added.
Across the road, Hadi, whose family store has been around for 35 years, said he saw no hope – and that this was not a new feeling.
“My generation, my dad’s generation, my grandpa’s generation, they didn’t see anything of hope from these people – not necessarily the Israeli people. You can say the Israeli government,” he said.
