Israel “cannot impose its conditions on us”, warned the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah Naïm Qassem in a pre-recorded speech. He affirmed this Wednesday, November 20 that he would not accept any ceasefire agreement as long as Israel violates “the sovereignty” of Lebanon, while American envoy Amos Hochstein is currently leading negotiations there.
The United States and France have been increasing efforts in recent weeks to obtain a truce in this conflict between the powerful pro-Iranian movement and Israel. The Lebanese Islamist movement (support for Hamas in Gaza) and the Israeli army entered into open war on September 23, and the IDF has been carrying out incursions into southern Lebanon since September 30.
The firmness of the leaders of Hezbollah and Israel
Arriving in Beirut on Tuesday, American diplomat Amos Hochstein reported “additional progress” on Wednesday after discussions with the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, who liaises with Hezbollah. He was expected later in the day in Israel. But the negotiations seem to be off to a bad start. To achieve any ceasefire, Hezbollah demands “a total cessation of aggression” in Lebanon. “The Israeli enemy cannot penetrate whenever it wants” into Lebanese territory in the event of a ceasefire, he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Israel “will carry out military operations” against Hezbollah even in the event of a truce. And Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that any agreement should allow his country “freedom of action” against Hezbollah.
Intense fighting and bombardments
In the meantime, the fighting continues to rage. At the same time as words are being exchanged between leaders and diplomats, the official Lebanese news agency (ANI) reported on Wednesday “violent clashes” in the south of the country, and added that Israeli forces were trying to “progress towards the hills of Kfarchouba” under intense artillery and aviation cover.
The day before, France vigorously denounced the rocket fire “probably perpetrated by Hezbollah” against two positions of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and the shooting suffered the same day by a patrol of French peacekeepers. “Four Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured” by rocket fire against UN positions, while “a UNIFIL patrol made up of French peacekeepers also came under fire the same day, without causing any injuries”, deplores in a press release from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which demands “that UNIFIL be able to exercise its freedom of movement”.
The French ministry once again underlined the duty “to respect resolution 1701” of the UN Security Council which recorded the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. It stipulates that only the Lebanese army and the Blue helmets must be deployed to the southern border of Lebanon, implying a withdrawal of the Hezbollah sector, but also that of Israeli soldiers from Lebanese territory.