The head of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, pledged on Friday to coordinate closely with the Lebanese army to implement a ceasefire deal with Israel, which he said his group had agreed to "with heads held high".
It was his first address since a ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday after more than a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that decimated swathes of Lebanon and killed 4,000 people including hundreds of women and children.
Qassem said Hezbollah had "approved the deal, with the resistance strong in the battlefield, and our heads held high with our right to defend (ourselves)."
The ceasefire stipulates that Hezbollah will withdraw from areas south of the Litani river, which runs some 30 km (20 miles) north of the border with Israel, and that the Lebanese army will deploy troops there as Israeli ground troops withdraw.
"There will be high-level coordination between the Resistance (Hezbollah) and the Lebanese army to implement the commitments of the deal," Qassem said.
The Lebanese army has already sent additional troops to the south but is preparing a detailed deployment plan to share with Lebanon's cabinet, security sources and officials have said.
That effort has been complicated by the continuing presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory. The deal grants them a full 60 days to complete their withdrawal.
The Israeli military has issued restrictions on people returning to villages along Lebanon's border with Israel and has fired at people in those villages in recent days, calling those movements a violation of the truce.
Both the Lebanese army and Hezbollah have accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire in those instances, and by launching an airstrike above the Litani River on Thursday.
Qassem said the group had scored a "divine victory" against Israel even greater than that declared after the two foes last fought in 2006.
"To those that were betting that Hezbollah would be weakened, we are sorry, their bets have failed," he said.
Armenia will offer Azerbaijani as an optional subject for 10-12th grade students in three schools from the 2025/2026 academic year as part of a state ...
The official opening of the Art Weekend festival took place on October 31 at the Heydar Aliyev Center, bringing together artists, curators, and cultur...
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Serbia’s second-largest city on Saturday, marking one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16...
Members of a U.S. congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have stepped up pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to answer ques...
Confronted with deepening fractures in the global trading system, Asia-Pacific leaders adopted a joint declaration at the close of the annual APEC sum...
The U.S. has approved $230 million in aid for Lebanon’s armed and internal security forces, aiming to strengthen state control as pressure mounts on Hezbollah to disarm.
Thousands gathered in Tehran on Thursday to commemorate one year since the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as Iranian officials vowed defiance against the U.S. and Israel.
Lebanon’s cabinet on Friday endorsed an army plan to disarm Hezbollah as Shi’ite ministers stage walk out in protest.
Israel is prepared to support Lebanon in efforts to disarm Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday, following a Lebanese cabinet decision to back a U.S. disarmament plan for the Iran-backed group.
Reports from CNN say the Pentagon has approved the provision of long range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine after assessing its impact on U.S. stockpiles, while leaving the ultimate decision to President Trump.
Tanzanian police fired tear gas and live rounds on Thursday to disperse protesters in Dar es Salaam and other cities, a day after a disputed election marked by violence and claims of political repression, witnesses said.
Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure and other targets, forcing nationwide power restrictions and killing seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
The U.S. State Department has ordered the departure of all non-emergency personnel and their family members from Mali, citing escalating security risks as al Qaeda-linked insurgents tighten a fuel blockade on the country.
Argentina has boosted security along its border with Brazil following a large-scale police operation against the Comando Vermelho gang in Rio de Janeiro, which has reportedly left more than 100 people dead since it began on Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Serbia’s second-largest city on Saturday, marking one year since a railway station roof collapse killed 16 people, a tragedy that has fuelled public outrage over alleged corruption and lack of accountability.
Members of a U.S. congressional committee investigating the Jeffrey Epstein case have stepped up pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions about his relationship with the late financier and convicted sex offender, the BBC reported on Saturday.
Confronted with deepening fractures in the global trading system, Asia-Pacific leaders adopted a joint declaration at the close of the annual APEC summit on Saturday, underscoring the need for resilience and shared prosperity in trade.
Dozens of countries have yet to secure accommodation for their delegations at the COP30 climate summit, just a week before it begins, prompting host nation Brazil to offer free cruise ship cabins to poorer states in a last-minute effort to guarantee their participation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday that he was ready to deepen cooperation and work together to address shared challenges, while Lee appealed for Beijing’s support in efforts to revive dialogue with nuclear-armed North Korea.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment