Hezbollah is requesting an unconditional cease-fire, according to a speech delivered Tuesday by Naim Qassem, who until recently served as the deputy to assassinated Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah. In his remarks, Qassem stated that the group "agrees to a cease-fire without preconditions. First, a cease-fire is achieved diplomatically, and then we will discuss all the details." Experts believe this announcement was likely coordinated with Iran.
Naim Qassem, a founding member of Hezbollah, is one of its leading figures and a member of the Jihad Council, which oversees the terror group's operations. He is now the highest-ranking military and political leader remaining after the assassination of Nasrallah and the attack on his expected successor, Hashem Safieddine. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday that Safieddine "was likely killed."
Given this, Qassem can be seen as the group's official spokesperson, and it is highly probable that the cease-fire proposal he presented in his pre-announced speech in Beirut is official. Notably, Qassem did not make the cease-fire contingent on a halt to fighting in Gaza.
Qassem's request for a cease-fire, likely to be mediated by the UN or another diplomatic channel, calls for Israel to stop its offensive before any conditions regarding the situation between Israel and Lebanon –especially in southern Lebanon – are negotiated.
His focus is on achieving an immediate cease-fire, with the details to be discussed afterward. This approach is something Israel may resist, as resuming hostilities would be far more challenging if Lebanon refuses to accept Israel’s demands.
Hezbollah's call for a cease-fire reflects the group’s dire military situation and its desire to prevent further actions by Israel and the IDF, which it sees as preparing to tighten control over southern Lebanon and inflict further damage on Hezbollah’s military and civilian assets.
Although Qassem presents the proposal as Hezbollah’s agreement to a cease-fire, it is clearly a desperate request born out of the group's difficult circumstances and may even suggest a tacit admission of defeat. The next step will be watching how Israel and potential mediators respond – and whether Lebanon steps in to help bring an end to the war.
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