In a formal statement addressed to Lebanon’s top three leaders and people, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, reaffirmed its commitment to national unity, the protection of Lebanese sovereignty, and the preservation of internal stability. The movement expressed its intention to contribute to building a unified national stance in response to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon and persistent violations of the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024.

Hezbollah emphasized that its position aims to thwart renewed efforts to drag Lebanon into indirect negotiations serving only the political and strategic goals of the Zionist entity and its international backers. The statement also underlined the group's continued dedication to resisting foreign pressure and safeguarding national dignity.

The open letter outlined the context and content of the ceasefire declaration of November 27, 2024, which was brokered through former US envoy Amos Hochstein following indirect talks between Lebanon and the Zionist entity. The ceasefire was presented as a mechanism to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), which delineates the area south of the Litani River as a zone free of armed groups and requires the Zionist entity to withdraw beyond the so-called Blue Line.

According to the statement, the ceasefire began with the clause: "Israel and Lebanon will implement a cessation of hostilities beginning at 4:00 am on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, in accordance with the commitments detailed below."

Article Two further stipulated: "As of 4:00 am on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, the Government of Lebanon shall prevent Hezbollah and all other armed groups within Lebanese territory from carrying out any operations against Israel, and Israel shall refrain from any offensive military operations against Lebanese territory, including civilian, military, or state targets, by land, air, or sea."

The clauses continued through Article 13.

Continued Zionist violations and political blackmail

Hezbollah stated that while it and the Lebanese government have strictly adhered to the ceasefire, "Israel" continues to violate it by land, air, and sea. According to the group, these ongoing hostilities, combined with political blackmail, reflect the Israeli entity's intent to impose submission on Lebanon and extract concessions from it, in line with its interests in Lebanon and the region, as seen through its intent to forcibly annex the West Bank.

The statement criticized the "hasty governmental error" regarding the issue of the "monopoly of arms," arguing that this move was used by the enemy to demand the disarmament of the Resistance as a precondition for halting aggression, something not included in the ceasefire's terms and categorically rejected by Hezbollah.

The Resistance asserted that the matter of arms should not be subject to foreign dictates or opportunistic interpretations by external actors. Instead, it called for any discussion on this topic to take place within a national framework based on consensus and a comprehensive security and defense strategy that protects Lebanon’s sovereignty.

The group warned that the Zionist entity does not target Hezbollah alone but is actively working to undermine Lebanon as a whole. The aim, it stated, is to dismantle any capability of resistance, weaken the Lebanese state, and force submission to Zionist and Western interests.

It further said, "As a founding component of Lebanon, the nation we are committed to as a final homeland for all its children, we reaffirm our legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression," adding, "Legitimate defense does not fall under framework of “decisions of war or peace”; rather, it is exercise of our right to resist an enemy that imposes war upon our land, refuses to cease its assaults, seeking to subdue our state."

Hezbollah concluded its message by urging all Lebanese factions to adopt a unified and dignified national stance. Only such unity, the group argued, can effectively confront external threats, uphold Lebanon’s sovereign rights, and resist attempts to strip the country of its ability to defend itself and maintain its independence.

Latest developments 

Hezbollah's open letter comes after the Israeli occupation's aggression continued against Lebanon despite the ceasefire of November 2024. UNIFIL confirmed a surge in Israeli violations by land, air, and sea, including reconnaissance overflights and limited shelling near villages such as Aita al-Shaab and Hula. These incidents reignited fears of renewed confrontation, prompting official protests from Beirut and renewed condemnation of Tel Aviv’s disregard for Resolution 1701.

Hezbollah responded cautiously but vowed to preserve deterrence, framing the violations as evidence of "Israel’s" intent to erode Lebanon’s sovereignty rather than ensure stability.

Parallel to these developments, US mediation resumed through former envoy Amos Hochstein, who arrived in Beirut to encourage fresh border and disarmament talks. Lebanese leaders faced renewed Western pressure to revive discussions over a national defense strategy and the “monopoly of arms.”

Concurrently, "Israel" continues targeting different areas in Lebanon, notably southern Lebanon and northern Lebanon. On Wednesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that one person was martyred and another wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the south of the country.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of Burj Rahhal, in the Tyre district. Earlier the same day, Israeli occupation forces also fired bursts of machine gun fire from the border wall toward the outskirts of the town of Kfar Kila.