A member of the Hezbollah parliament has suggested that the organization is open to negotiating a ceasefire with Israel, following weeks of severe Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon that have resulted in the elimination of prominent Hezbollah leaders.
Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah has launched numerous rockets into Israeli territory in support of the people of Gaza, asserting that it would only halt its attacks if the military actions against the Palestinian region cease.
With a significant portion of Hezbollah's leadership incapacitated and numerous Lebanese civilians having lost their lives amid the escalation of Israel's air operations in Lebanon, the group has now indicated a willingness to consider a truce, despite Israeli forces struggling to achieve significant advances in southern Lebanon.
"There was a statement…from several nations advocating for a ceasefire, which Lebanon accepted. The only party that rejected this statement was the Zionist enemy [Israel]," MP Hussein Hajj Hassan conveyed to Al Jazeera over the weekend.
Hassan referenced a joint declaration made by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden on September 25, which called for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon to facilitate negotiations for a more enduring peace agreement with Israel.
This appeal received support from various American and French allies and was issued just two days after Israel commenced a lethal aerial offensive in Lebanon, resulting in extensive airstrikes and numerous casualties.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the proposal, maintaining his commitment to dismantling Hezbollah’s military strength.
"Netanyahu initially indicated his agreement to the statement but subsequently retracted, which is a crucial aspect. Lebanon accepted this statement, and both [Parliament] Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati reaffirmed their dedication to this [ceasefire] initiative," Hassan stated to Al Jazeera.
When questioned about whether Hezbollah would agree to a ceasefire irrespective of the circumstances in Gaza, Hassan responded: "For us, the priority is a ceasefire, and we are receptive to any future discussions, which can only take place after a ceasefire is established."
Hassan did not directly reference Gaza in his statements; however, his remarks appeared to indicate that his party was prepared for an immediate halt to hostilities, independent of the situation in the enclave.
Recently, Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib disclosed that the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had consented to a "complete ceasefire" shortly before his assassination by Israel on September 27. The US State Department has refuted Bou Habib's assertion.
For an entire year, following the outbreak of cross-border conflicts between Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli military, Hezbollah established what it termed a "support front" for the Palestinians, asserting that it would cease rocket fire at Israel only upon the establishment of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Hezbollah's determination to link Lebanon’s circumstances with those of Gaza has drawn criticism within the country, which is already grappling with its most severe economic crisis in five years.
Even a close ally of Hezbollah and the group's presidential candidate, Sleiman Frangieh of the Marada Movement, expressed on Monday a desire for the cessation of hostilities and urged against connecting a ceasefire in Lebanon to one in Gaza.
"Our priority today is to put an end to the [Israeli] aggression in Lebanon and to emerge from this crisis united," Frangieh stated following a meeting with Berri at the speaker’s residence in Beirut.
The Lebanese health ministry reported on Monday that since the onset of fighting with Israel in October of last year, 2,083 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon, with over 9,800 injuries recorded.
This toll encompasses both Hezbollah combatants and civilians, with a significant number of these civilians, including children, healthcare workers, and rescuers, having been killed in the past two weeks amid Israel's intensified military actions.
No comments:
Post a Comment