No official ceasefire proposal received so far, says Hezbollah amid talks of ‘progress’ in truce deal- The Week

Amid rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel, the Hezbollah group confirmed that it has not received any truce proposal.

“So far…nothing official has reached Lebanon or us in this regard,” the head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif said in a news conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

“I believe that we are still in the phase of testing the waters and presenting initial ideas and proactive discussions, but so far there is nothing actual yet.”

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On Monday, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said that progress has been made in Lebanon’s ceasefire talks but that enforcement remained an important element.”There is progress…the main challenge will be to enforce what will be agreed,” said Saar.

There were reports of substantial progress in diplomatic negotiations over the proposed Lebanon ceasefire that would require Hezbollah to withdraw its military presence north of the Litani River.

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Israel “will never win” its war against Hezbollah, said Afif.

“The actual facts on the ground are in your hands and will have the final say in politics and decision-making. And in light of your fighting and steadfastness, the fate of your homeland will be determined, and perhaps the fate of the entire Middle East,” added Afif.

Israel on Sunday confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the pager blasts in Lebanon, which killed around 40 people and injured over 2,500.

Hezbollah group said that it has three decisive elements on the field. “The will of [those] who are determined to die defending their homeland and their people. We have enough time before their [Israeli] tanks sink in the Lebanese mud with the onset of winter. We have the land that we know and that knows us, which gives us freedom of manoeuvre and movement. We can either live on it as honourable people or die for it as martyrs.”

Afif also pointed out that in around 45 days of fighting, Israel was not able to occupy even a single Lebanese village.

“Israel will never win your war with air superiority, nor with destruction and killing of civilians, women and children. As long as you are unable to advance on the ground and gain actual control, you will never achieve your political goals, and the people of the north will never return to the north,” he added.