No negotiations under fire: Egyptian peace effort stalls as Hezbollah reaffirms commitment to ceasefire

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Hezbollah has firmly rejected the "aggressive blackmail" and "political traps" aimed at dragging Lebanon into new negotiations with Israel, stressing that the country's only priority is to end the ongoing aggression under a declared ceasefire and to pressure Israel into respecting it.

The group's stance came in an open letter addressed to President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and notably to "the elder brother," Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri—a phrasing seen as a nod to Berri's central role as mediator rather than a sign of political divergence.

However, Hezbollah's message carries several layers of significance both domestically and internationally, reaffirming that the group sees no reason to enter a new agreement with Israel, while the latter fails to uphold existing commitments. For Hezbollah, any initiative that goes beyond enforcing the current ceasefire amounts to surrender.

The group cited several proposals it considers unacceptable, including the so-called Tom Barrack paper, which it labeled a "grave mistake," as well as initiatives led by former U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus that called for direct negotiations "under fire" amid Israeli threats of escalation.

More recently, Hezbollah's statement appeared to respond directly to a new Egyptian mediation effort. Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad reportedly expressed Cairo's readiness to mediate during a meeting with President Aoun, aiming to restore stability in Lebanon.

According to Lebanese political sources, the Egyptian proposal includes two main provisions: a commitment by Hezbollah to refrain from launching attacks against Israel north of the river, followed by a round of talks between Lebanon and Israel covering a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories, prisoner exchanges, and broader issues such as border demarcation and the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. 

However, Hezbollah views these terms as "free concessions."

The group maintains that it remains bound by Article 2 of the November 27 agreement, which requires the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah and other armed groups from attacking Israel from Lebanese soil—a provision Hezbollah says it continues to honor, while accusing Israel of ongoing violations.

Despite ongoing communication between Hezbollah and Egyptian officials through Cairo's embassy in Beirut, the mediation effort has yet to yield tangible results. 

Sources say the timing and tone of Hezbollah's open letter serve as a direct response to the Egyptian initiative, reiterating the group's commitment to the November 27 agreement and its right to resist occupation strictly within the framework of self-defense, not as a declaration of war.