Ready to accept truce with Israel under ‘appropriate’ conditions, says Hezbollah’s new leader

Lebanon-based Hezbollah group’s new leader Naim Qassem on Wednesday said they may agree to a ceasefire with Israel if specific conditions are met, according to media reports.

The statement came as Israeli forces intensified their assault on the strongholds of the Iran-backed Shiite militia, reported news agency AFP.

Naim Qassem’s comments came as Israel’s security cabinet weighed a possible truce, following Israeli attacks on Baalbek, where another senior Hezbollah commander was reportedly killed.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed “cautious optimism” for a ceasefire “in the coming hours or days.”

Speaking to broadcaster Al-Jadeed, Mikati noted that U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein suggested a truce might be reached before November 5, the date of the U.S. election.

Qassem, who assumed leadership after the death of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike last month, remarked that the group could continue resisting Israeli forces in Lebanon but also remained open to a truce if terms are favourable.

“If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but under the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable,” Qassem stated, while clarifying that Hezbollah had not yet received a credible offer, according to the AFP report.

Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen confirmed that the security cabinet was considering conditions for a truce.

“There are discussions, I think it will still take time,” Cohen said to Israeli public radio, the report said.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers discussed demands for a 60-day ceasefire, including Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River and a Lebanese army presence at the border.

An international mechanism would enforce the truce, with Israel reserving the right to respond to future threats.

Meanwhile, the U.S. sent Middle East advisor Brett McGurk and Hochstein to Israel to explore diplomatic options for both the Lebanon and Gaza conflicts, according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

In Lebanon, explosions shook Baalbek after Israel warned residents it would “act forcefully against Hezbollah interests.”

The Lebanese health ministry reported at least 19 fatalities in Baalbek.

Israel confirmed strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Baalbek and Nabatiyeh.

Separately, Sohmor in the Bekaa Valley had 11 fatalities and 15 injuries from Israeli attacks.

Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets and drones at northern Israeli positions and a military training site near Tel Aviv.

The Lebanon conflict erupted nearly a year after Hezbollah began cross-border fire in support of Hamas following its October 2023 assault on Israel.

Since the conflict’s start, at least 1,754 fatalities have been recorded in Lebanon, while Israel reported 37 military deaths.

In Gaza, international mediators are working on a short-term truce to prevent humanitarian disaster and facilitate hostage exchanges.

Discussions involving U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian officials have aimed at brokering a ceasefire, including the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and increasing Gaza aid.

A source close to these negotiations disclosed that the current proposal suggests a “short-term” truce, potentially leading to a permanent agreement.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, however, instructed troops to maintain pressure, stressing the need to secure the hostages’ release.

A recent Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, Gaza, killed 93 people, prompting condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was “deeply shocked” by the attack. U.S. State Department spokesperson Miller criticized Israel for insufficient responses about the strike.

The October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel caused 1,206 civilian fatalities, while Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in 43,163 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry data, considered reliable by the UN.