The deputy leader of "Hezbollah" Naim Qassem said his group supports efforts to reach a ceasefire for Lebanon, reports "Reuters".
However, he for the first time failed to mention a Gaza ceasefire agreement as a precondition for a ceasefire by "Hezbollah" against Israel.
Qassem emphasized that "Hezbollah" supports the efforts of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the group, to secure an end to the fighting, which has escalated in recent weeks with an Israeli ground offensive and the killing of some of Hezbollah's top leaders, including Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah.< /p>
"We support the political activity led by Berry under the banner of a truce," Kassem said in a 30-minute televised address.
"In any case, once the issue of the ceasefire takes shape and diplomacy succeeds in achieving it, all the other details can be discussed and decisions can be made," he added. "If the enemy (Israel) continues its war, then the battlefield will decide.
"Hezbollah" began firing rockets at Israel a year ago in support of its ally "Hamas", which has been at war with Israel since October 7, 2023.
In the last year, the leaders of "Hezbollah" have repeatedly stated that the group will not stop its fire until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. Kassem's address, however, seems to mark a departure from this policy.
Israeli strikes hit the group's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut every night, and ground operations expanded today to cover more parts of Lebanon's southern border with Israel.
Qassem, however, defiantly stated that the group's capabilities were intact, that it had intensified its rocket fire against Israel and craved "clashes" with Israeli troops in Lebanon.