The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, backed by Iran, expressed concerns on Saturday regarding the ceasefire proposal put forth by Washington for Gaza. Naim Qassem, the head of the Hamas-affiliated militant group, warned that Israel might exploit the plan to advance its agenda, suggesting that Israel could use it as a pretext to seize Palestinian territories and undermine their self-governance. Qassem emphasized that the decision to accept the proposal ultimately lies with Hamas.
During a speech commemorating two Hezbollah commanders who lost their lives in a previous conflict with Israel, Qassem criticized the ceasefire plan as being fraught with risks. He accused Israel of resorting to political means after failing to achieve its goals through military actions, aggression, and other oppressive tactics.
The remarks from Qassem followed a positive response from Hamas on Friday to US President Donald Trump’s initiative aimed at releasing hostages in Gaza and bringing an end to the prolonged conflict. The Trump plan, supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also includes provisions for disarming Hamas and excluding them from future governance in Gaza, which Hamas did not directly address in its response.
Qassem refrained from delving into the specifics of Trump’s proposal, stating that the discussion and decisions rest with the Palestinian resistance factions themselves. However, he stressed the need to oppose the “Greater Israel project,” which envisions expanding Israel’s territory beyond its current borders to include territories in neighboring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Highlighting the persistent threat posed by Israel’s expansionist aspirations, Qassem urged regional inhabitants to resist the Greater Israel concept, cautioning that it could affect them in the future as per Israel’s strategic intentions. The Hezbollah leader recounted how the group had supported Hamas during the Gaza war triggered by an attack in October 2023, leading to a full-scale conflict in September 2024 that concluded with a ceasefire two months later.
Following the war and ongoing Israeli attacks despite the truce, Hezbollah faces internal and external pressures to disarm, with the Lebanese army devising a plan for the group’s disarmament.