BEIRUT. Hezbollah has backed away from its previous demand for a ceasefire in Gaza as a precondition for ending hostilities in Lebanon, marking a significant shift in the group’s stance. Since launching missiles across the Lebanon-Israel border following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault on Israel, Hezbollah had consistently insisted that it would continue its attacks until Israel ceased its military operations in Gaza.
However, in a televised address on Tuesday, Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy leader and now its highest-ranking official after the death of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike, indicated a change in the group’s position. While reiterating support for Hamas and the Palestinian people, Qassem stated that Hezbollah now supported efforts for a truce in Lebanon, independent of the situation in Gaza.
“We support the political activity being led by Berri under the title of a ceasefire,” Qassem said, referring to Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally. He added, “If the enemy (Israel) continues its war, then the battlefield will decide.”
This change in rhetoric follows similar statements from lower-ranking Hezbollah officials in recent days, hinting at the possibility of a truce in Lebanon without tying it to the Gaza conflict. The group, however, has not explicitly announced a formal policy shift, and Hezbollah declined to comment further on the matter.
Despite this, Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters that Hamas still believes in Hezbollah’s original stance, noting, “We are confident in Hezbollah’s stance linking any agreement with a halt to the war in Gaza.”
Pressures from various sources may have contributed to Hezbollah’s altered position. A Lebanese government official, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that the mass displacement of civilians from Hezbollah’s core constituencies in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, coupled with Israel’s intensifying military campaign, has strained the group. Additionally, there have been growing calls from Lebanese political leaders for a resolution to the conflict that separates Lebanon’s future from the Gaza war.
“We will not tie our fate to the fate of Gaza,” veteran Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Monday. Lebanese Christian politician Suleiman Frangieh, a close Hezbollah ally, echoed this sentiment, stressing the need for Lebanon to emerge “united” from the ongoing conflict.
While some Hezbollah officials, such as Mahmoud Qmati, have hinted at the possibility of political solutions, diplomats believe that the group may have waited too long to build diplomatic momentum. Israel has escalated its offensive in recent days, deploying ground troops along sections of the Lebanese-Israeli border and conducting airstrikes on Beirut.
“Hezbollah is playing politics… But that’s not enough for the Israelis. It doesn’t work that way,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, an expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center, commenting on the growing military pressure on Hezbollah.
The prospect of a ceasefire remains uncertain, with a senior Western diplomat stating that there is no clear path to a truce on the horizon as Israel’s military operations continue to dominate the situation.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
