Hezbollah rejects US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon
Hezbollah has rejected a US-brokered ceasefire proposal between Israel and Lebanon, saying it includes 'unacceptable national-sovereignty conditions'. The decision leaves uncertain a partial arrangement that envisages Lebanese army deployment in the south.
Al JazeeraHezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Kassem told the party channel Al-Manar: 'Before laying down arms on the ground, an end to the occupation and a sovereign political process are required.' US special envoy Amos Hochstein said diplomatic work was 'actively continuing' and announced a Monday meeting in Beirut with President Joseph Aoun. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the cabinet that 'it is not possible to push an agreement onto the ground unilaterally when one side says no'.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement: 'If Hezbollah persists in its negative stance, our army will continue measures aimed at its operational targets.' Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Major-General Daniel Hagari confirmed overnight air strikes in southern Lebanon. UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said the mission was monitoring the line of fire.
Al Jazeera Beirut correspondent Zeina Khodr said current talks were 'a few candlelit steps' behind the December agreement baseline. The parallel-market value of the Lebanese pound against the dollar slipped to 89,700 LBP. This is not investment advice.
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