Efforts to stop the ongoing conflict between Lebanon and Israel have suffered a major setback. After the death of at least four people in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, Hezbollah has completely rejected the new ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government. Meanwhile, the ongoing fighting between the two sides has made efforts to establish peace in the region more difficult.

Hezbollah called the agreement insulting

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassim called the new agreement absurd, insulting and insulting in a written statement broadcast on television. He said the agreement calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from southern Lebanon, which for them is tantamount to surrender, defeat and fulfillment of the enemy’s objectives. Naim Qasim clearly said that his priority is to end the Israeli aggression, implement a ceasefire and ensure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. He also reiterated that Hezbollah has not made any promises to stop the fighting. He said, “As long as our villages are not safe, as they continue to be bombed and destroyed and our people continue to be killed, northern Israel will not be safe either.”

Four people died in Israeli attacks

Hezbollah’s reaction came at a time when at least four people were killed in Israeli strikes, according to local officials. During the conflict, a soldier of the United Nations Peace Mission was also killed in the crossfire. On the other hand, an Israeli soldier has also died during the fighting in southern Lebanon.

Shortly after Naeem Qasim’s statement, sirens warning of drone attacks started sounding in many border areas of northern Israel. These included Shlomi Kasba, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers were meeting with local officials. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu had left the scene shortly before the sirens sounded. Israeli media also confirmed this.

Trying to stop drone attacks

The Israeli army later said that the sirens were used in an attempt to stop the drones, which fell near soldiers deployed in southern Lebanon. However, there is no information about anyone being injured in this incident. Israeli Army Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir admitted that due to the ongoing war, there is increasing pressure on the cities and towns of northern Israel. He said that Israel’s military actions in Iran and Lebanon have created a new security situation in the region. According to Jamir, due to these operations the capabilities of Iran and Hezbollah have been weakened to an unprecedented level.

Army reached village in southern Lebanon

According to state-run media, on Thursday afternoon the Lebanese army, in coordination with UN peacekeepers, reached the village of Dibbin in southern Lebanon. This step was taken when the Israeli army vacated the area which had witnessed fierce fighting in recent days.
This is the first time since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war that started about three months ago that the Israeli army has retreated from an area in southern Lebanon.

Global efforts being affected by conflict

Israel’s occupation of large parts of southern Lebanon and ongoing fighting are also hampering efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is an important route for oil and gas transportation. Due to its impact, pressure on the global economy has also increased. Iran has demanded that any permanent ceasefire agreement include Lebanon.

Different signals from Netanyahu and Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections this year, says Israel will continue its campaign until Hezbollah completely ceases to be a threat. At the same time, US President Donald Trump, while downplaying the diplomatic deadlock and the failure of the ceasefire, said that in the Middle East, “ceasefire means that there will be less firing than before.”

A 14-day ceasefire may have been agreed upon between America and Iran, but tension still persists in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Israel has made a big claim of killing Ali Yusuf Harshi, nephew of Hezbollah Chief Naeem Qasim. However, no reaction has been given by Hezbollah yet.

The Israeli army said, ‘The IDF carried out an attack in the Beirut area and killed Ali Youssef Harashi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah chief Naim Qassim.’

According to Reuters report, Israel announced on Thursday (April 9) that it has killed Naim Qassim, the chief of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, in an overnight attack in the Lebanese capital Beirut. If Hezbollah confirms the death of Naim Qasim’s nephew, it will be a major blow to the armed group and Tehran, because Hezbollah is one of Iran’s key allies in the Middle East.

Israel intensified attacks in Lebanon

Even after the ceasefire agreement with Iran, Israel’s aggressive attacks on Lebanon continue. Since Wednesday (April 8), 254 people have lost their lives in Israeli attacks, while more than 1165 people have been injured. Lebanon’s Imam also died in the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that Lebanon will not be included in the ceasefire.

Araghchi warned

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned to stop attacks on Lebanon. He also added that if the attacks on Lebanon are not stopped, Iran will cancel the ceasefire agreement. Posting on the social media platform He can’t choose both.

Who is Naeem Qasim?

According to hezbollah.org, Naeem Qasim was born in Kafr Kila village of Nabatiyeh province in southern Lebanon. Qasim is one of the main ideologues of Hezbollah and one of its founding members. Qassim earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the Lebanese University in 1970, while simultaneously pursuing his theological and theological studies under Islamic scholar Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. He was head of the Association for Islamic Religious Education from 1974–1988 and was also a founding member of the Association of Lebanese Muslim Students.