Secretary-General of Hezbollah, accused Washington on Saturday of dictating the terms of the recently announced ceasefire agreement to the Lebanese government, sharply criticizing what he described as official Lebanese acquiescence to U.S. pressure. His remarks come as the terrorist organization continues to reject direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
Qassem argued that the U.S. Department of State-issued document outlining the ceasefire “has no practical value,” noting it was released only after the truce had already taken effect. He described the move as an “insult” to Lebanon, saying it was unacceptable for the United States to draft the terms while speaking on behalf of the Lebanese government. He further pointed to language in the statement claiming both Israel and Lebanon had agreed to the terms, insisting that Lebanon’s government had neither convened nor formally approved such a position.
Despite the ceasefire, Qassem signaled no shift in Hezbollah’s posture on the ground. He stressed that fighters would remain deployed and ready to respond to any Israeli violations, citing a lack of trust in Israel’s adherence to the agreement.
“A ceasefire must mean a complete halt to hostilities from both sides,” he said, rejecting what he framed as a one-sided expectation on the “resistance” while Israeli operations continue. He added that Hezbollah would not accept a repeat of what he described as 15 months of restraint in the face of Israeli military actions that diplomacy failed to stop.
Qassem’s comments come as reports of violations continue into the second day of the 10-day ceasefire, which was announced Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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