Hezbollah announces its position on the Washington Agreement: Villages vs. Settlements

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem launched a fiery stance against Washington's recent announcement, considering it a roadmap for "the annihilation of part of the Lebanese people and the enslavement of the rest  ," stressing that any attempt to disarm the resistance means in practice "the execution of Lebanon's power and the threat to its existence."

 In a statement on Thursday, June 4, Qassem described  direct negotiations with Israel as "absurd, humiliating and shameful," stressing that the resistance will not give a commitment to anyone to stop responding to the aggression.

"As long as our villages are bombed, demolished and our people are killed, the settlements will not be safe," he said, vowing that the response will extend to where the resistance decides and where they can.

Equation: Villages vs. Settlements

Qassem explained that talk of a "mocking" ceasefire is limited to the south, while the aggression continues in the rest of the regions, is an unacceptable surrender, stressing that the resistance is only interested in stopping the comprehensive aggression and Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

He added: "This people, who have provided martyrs, wounded and prisoners, will not accept to be deceived by the enemy's policy, and will not allow Israel to take politics that it was unable to take with the war."

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah stressed that the continued targeting of Lebanese villages will be matched by the targeting of Israeli settlements, saying: "The killers of the prophets will not settle on our land, and they will see our strength and strength, we will fight the invaders until we expel them from our land and stop their aggression. The resistance is based on broad popular support, and it represents an inclusive national option that cannot be overcome.

Lebanon's sovereignty is a red line

Qassem stressed that the main goal is the sovereignty of Lebanon, which can only be achieved by stopping the Israeli aggression in all its forms, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani, the liberation of prisoners, the return of the people to their villages, and the reconstruction. He rejected any link between the existence of the resistance and the cessation of aggression, stressing that this is an internal matter decided by the Lebanese alone.

Qassem blamed the Lebanese Authority for addressing the internal division, calling for a national dialogue that leads to unity of position in the face of the Israeli aggression, saying: "The first is for the people of the country to understand in the face of the aggression first, and then we will address our issues under the roof of the constitution, Taif and coexistence."

Qassem concluded by calling for "an end to the farce and humiliation called direct negotiations", stressing that Lebanon's strength lies in the rally of its people around the choice of a sovereign state, and that the enemies will inevitably submit to the will of the resistance and the people.

US House of Representatives rejects restricting Trump's powers in Lebanon

The US House of Representatives has rejected a bill on war powers that was intended to restrict US President Donald Trump on Lebanon, after Democratic Party leaders opposed it.

  The resolution, introduced by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, called on Trump to withdraw U.S. armed forces "from Lebanon" within seven days of its passage. But the bill fell down in the vote with 324 votes against and 92 in favor, with two members voting "present."

House Democratic leaders, including Hakeem Jeffries, said there were "currently no U.S. military personnel engaged in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon."

Democratic leaders said Tlaib had submitted a new and amended version of the resolution, calling it "the best legislative tool to keep U.S. troops out of Lebanon." The new version has the support of Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The revised version stipulates that US forces will withdraw "from any hostilities in Lebanon" within seven days, stressing that the resolution does not prevent security cooperation with the Lebanese army or the protection of US diplomatic facilities.