Hezbollah rejects new cease-fire deal secured by Israel and Lebanon
New York Post
Last updated: June 5, 2026
Hezbollah has rejected a US-brokered cease-fire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government. The group's leader, Naim Qassem, deemed the deal "absurd, humiliating and insulting," primarily due to Israel's demand for Hezbollah fighters to withdraw from southern Lebanon. This rejection significantly diminishes prospects for peace in the region.
- Hezbollah has been launching near-daily attacks into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas since the war in Gaza began in 2023, leading to large-scale evacuations in northern Israel.
- The latest cease-fire negotiations, facilitated by the US, called for Hezbollah to retreat north of the Litani River and aimed to establish pilot zones under exclusive control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, excluding non-state actors.
- The agreement also labeled Hezbollah as an "enemy" of the US, Israel, and Lebanon, and stipulated US assistance in creating these controlled zones.
- However, the deal did not specify a timeline for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, where it has advanced further than at any point since its occupation period ended in 2000.
- The conflict has resulted in over 3,500 deaths in Lebanon and displaced over 1.2 million people.
- Hezbollah's rejection follows Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's statement that the agreement was the "last chance" for a comprehensive ceasefire.
- The ongoing fighting in Lebanon poses a risk to broader cease-fire efforts, particularly concerning Iran, which insists on Hezbollah's inclusion in any peace deal.
- Tehran has previously indicated it would withdraw from negotiations with the US if the conflict in Lebanon persists.
- US President Trump subsequently spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay planned strikes in Beirut.
