Hezbollah has rejected a US-backed proposal for a partial ceasefire with Israel, insisting that any truce must cover all of Lebanon rather than limit attacks to specific areas.
AFP reported senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qomati saying that Iran-backed group would not accept any limited truce and warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut's southern districts could trigger a "deeper and stronger" response.
The proposal, announced by US President Donald Trump and mediated by Washington, reportedly called for Hezbollah to stop attacks on northern Israel while the latter would refrain from targeting Beirut's Shia-majority southern suburbs. Lebanese officials later said the arrangement was aimed at reducing tensions without a broader ceasefire.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah also rejected the proposal, saying the group would only accept a comprehensive ceasefire covering all of Lebanon. He said any truce must include a complete halt to Israeli military operations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the return of displaced civilians.
Speaking to Lebanon's Al Mayadeen, Fadlallah said Hezbollah had rejected the US proposal, which sought to shield Beirut's southern suburbs from Israeli strikes in exchange for the group halting attacks on northern Israeli territories.
He also referred to Iran's warning to Israel against bombing Beirut's southern suburbs and its call for residents in northern Israeli-held areas to evacuate ahead of any retaliatory action.
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Fadlallah added that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had informed Hezbollah that Trump had proposed a mutual ceasefire as an initial step.
He said the group was coordinating with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese authorities to pursue a broader ceasefire framework, with discussions still ongoing.
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