Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, has announced its willingness to engage in cease-fire talks with Israel after suffering severe losses over the past week due to Israeli military operations.
The statement came on Tuesday, October 8, as Hezbollah revealed it had endured significant casualties and damage during a series of targeted airstrikes by the Israeli army, which intensified its campaign in response to cross-border tensions.
The announcement follows a week of escalating violence in southern Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes have reportedly decimated Hezbollah positions, with both sides exchanging heavy fire.
Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, publicly endorsed a truce with Israel, the first such time the terror group has proposed a cease-fire not conditioned on the war in Gaza.
“We support the political efforts led by [Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih] Berri under the banner of achieving a cease-fire,” Qassem said.
“Once the cease-fire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” he added.
Hezbollah’s readiness for discussions marks a notable shift in its stance, possibly indicating the toll the conflict is taking on the group.
Israel, however, remains focused on its military operations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering full-scale attacks on Hezbollah strongholds.
International mediators, including the United States, have been working behind the scenes to push for a cease-fire, although Israel has yet to signal any immediate willingness to halt its strikes.
Hezbollah had previously vowed that it would not stop attacking Israel until it agrees to end the war in Gaza, with the Iran-backed terror group firing missiles over the border nearly every day since Oct. 8.
Qassem is currently the highest-ranking member in the terror group after Israel decimated its ranks in recent months.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed Sept. 27, with Israeli defence officials revealing Tuesday that his planned successor, Hashem Safieddine, was likely also killed in an airstrike last week before he could even be formally elected as a replacement.
The coming days are critical as regional powers and international allies push for a de-escalation, while the human toll continues to rise in the ongoing conflict.
