BEIRUT — Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Kassem said in a televised speech Wednesday that the Lebanese militant group supports the ongoing negotiation process for a cease-fire with Israel after more than 13 months of fighting but had given some “remarks” on the proposal. He added that the outcome depends on Israel’s response.
Kassem’s speech coincided with a two-day visit to Lebanon by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein aimed at clinching a deal to halt the war that has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and more than 130 Israelis.
Speaking from an undisclosed location in a pre-recorded address, Kassem said, “We agree to the current negotiation process.”
Kassem also said that Hezbollah has “some reservations” on the cease-fire proposal, which it gave to the U.S. envoy.
“The cessation of fighting depends on Israel’s response and Netanyahu’s seriousness,” he added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “No one can guarantee” whether this will lead to an actual cease-fire, Kassem said.
He said that any cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel must include “a complete and comprehensive end to the aggression,” preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty and ruling out any freedom of movement for Israel in Lebanese territory.
(Ali Hussein a Lebanese analyst commented on Qassem’s statement by saying “when did Hezbollah really care or give a darn about Lebanon’s sovereignty? If it really cared , Lebanon wouldn’t be cleaning up its mess right now. All Hezbollah cares about is Iran’s sovereignty, not Lebanon’s )
Kassem said that before his predecessor, longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on Sept. 27, the militant group had given its “approval of the Biden-Macron proposal” for a 21-day truce, which was under discussion at the time.
The defiant Qassem also made the following comments:
“Israel cannot impose its conditions on us.”
“Our negotiation is not under fire, because Israel is also under fire,.”
“We are working on two tracks — the battlefield and negotiations — and we will not suspend the battlefield as we wait for the negotiations,”
“The occupation ( meaning Israel) expected that it could take through the agreement what it has not taken on the battlefield but this is not possible ” Qassem pointed out.
“We will stay on the battlefield no matter how high the cost might be,”
Hezbollah has not and will not change its “national resistance positions and still believes in “the solidarity of the army, the people and the resistance, ” a formula that Nasrallah devised to justify the presence of the resistance in Lebanon
“Our goal is to prevent the Israeli army from settling inside Lebanon and we have achieved victories in doing so,” he said, a possible reference to the ground battles
“We are not trying to prevent the Israeli army from advancing into Lebanon, but rather to fight it after it enters,” he stressed
Qassem also warned Israel against launching further airstrikes on the capital Beirut, in the wake of three deadly strikes on Ras al-Nabaa, Mar Elias and Zokak al-Blat.
He warned Israel that “Hezbollah’s response must be expected in Central Tel Aviv ,” Qassem said.
According to Lebanese media, Qassem fled to Tehran with Iran’s FM during his trip to Beirut.
Hochstein in Israel
US envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel on Wednesday evening, Israeli media reported.
He is scheduled to meet with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to discuss his meetings in Beirut about a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.