Hezbollah condemns 'Israeli aggression' despite Lebanon truce

BEIRUT: Hezbollah's leader on Monday condemned Israel's operations in Lebanon amid a fragile ceasefire, repeating the group's rejection of direct negotiations between the Israeli and Lebanese governments. Israel has kept up deadly strikes on Lebanon despite the April 17 ceasefire that sought to halt more than six weeks of war between its military and Hezbollah, with both sides accusing the other of violating the truce.
In Lebanon's south near the Israeli border, the Israeli army has also demolished buildings and prevented residents of dozens of towns from returning. 'There is no ceasefire in Lebanon, but a continuous Israeli-American aggression,' Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a written statement broadcast by the al-Manar TV channel, which is affiliated with the Iran-backed group. 'Lebanon is the victim of aggression, and it is Lebanon that needs guarantees for its security and sovereignty' from Israel, he added. He criticised the direct talks, saying they put Lebanon 'under tutelage', and instead called for diplomacy that leads to an end to the war that began on March 2. 'Direct negotiations are a gratuitous concession, without results,' he said. 'So do not betray the resistance.'
The US embassy in Beirut had on Thursday called for a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which it said would be a 'historic opportunity' for the Lebanese people 'to shape their future'. On Monday, the Israeli army carried out a series of strikes after a new evacuation order was issued to residents of four towns in southern Lebanon. The ceasefire text — published by the US State Department — grants Israel the right to act against 'planned, imminent or ongoing attacks' by Hezbollah.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,600 people and displaced more than a million since the war began. After initial talks took place between Lebanon and Israel, US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire would last for 10 days, before a three-week extension was agreed after the second round.
Meanwhile, Israeli police on Monday warned people not to defy the cancellation of a major pilgrimage near the border with Lebanon, scrapped because of hostilities with Hezbollah, while local media reported thousands had gathered at the site. Israeli media reported thousands of people had gathered at the pilgrimage site on Monday despite the cancellation and a ban on large gatherings due to ongoing hostilities.
Authorities announced the pilgrimage's cancellation on Friday, citing the 'security situation,' sparking the closure of roads leading to the Mount Meron site starting on Sunday morning. Israeli authorities fear that some worshippers will attempt to circumvent the roadblocks and warned that 'police will not allow extremist elements to turn this sacred place into a scene of violence,' a police statement said. It added that police 'will act to bring to justice anybody who will incite violence or act against officers fulfilling their duty'.
The pilgrimage was cancelled in 2024, and took place with restrictions in 2025, both times due to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah which began after the start of the war in Gaza. On April 30, 2021, a stampede in the section reserved for men caused the deaths of 45 pilgrims, including at least 16 children. A commission of inquiry concluded three years later that there was 'personal responsibility' on the part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a video on Sunday, Israel's Chief Rabbi David Yossef lambasted those wanting to go to Meron despite the bans. 'The risk of endangering one's life overrides all religious commandments, and security experts say there is a real danger,' he stressed. — AFP