Lebanese Hezbollah: No ceasefire without Israeli withdrawal

Key points

• Shafaq News- Beirut Hezbollah on Thursday rejected the US-backed ceasefire framework announced in Washington, ruling out any agreement that links disarmament to a halt in Israeli attacks before Israel withdraws from Lebanon.
• In a statement, Secretary-General Naim Qassem stressed that any ceasefire must apply to all Lebanese territory and not separate southern Lebanon from the rest of the country, while any arrangement allowing Israel to continue military operations elsewhere in Lebanon would also be unacceptable.
• A day earlier, Washington announced a conditional ceasefire framework following a fourth round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials, which Qassem described as a humiliating process that serves Israeli interests.
• The agreement calls for Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdraw its fighters from areas south of the Litani River, while parts of southern Lebanon would be placed under the control of the Lebanese Army.
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun later clarified that implementation could...