Hezbollah backs Lebanon ceasefire de-linked from Gaza; US says it shows militant group on back foot

Tel Aviv [Israel]/ Washington [US], October 9 : Amid Israel intensifying its offensive by sending ground troops across Lebanese-Israeli border and continuing airstrikes on Beirut and elsewhere, Hezbollah is now no longer demanding a truce in Gaza as a condition for reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon.
"We support the political efforts led by (Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri under the banner of achieving a ceasefire. Once the ceasefire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively," Hezbollah Deputy Secretery General Naim Qassem said according to CNN.
Qaseem said this in his televised speech on Tuesday marking the first anniversary of Hezbollah's involvement in the war.
Meanwhile, 'The Times of Israel' today cited an Israeli television Channel 12 report yesterday that the United States and Arab states have launched covert talks with Iran for a comprehensive ceasefire aimed at calming all war fronts at once.
"We are currently in a position of power, a ceasefire will be on our terms, including a [Hezbollah] withdrawal beyond the Litani [River] and the dismantling of all military Hezbollah sites in areas near the border," a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying by the Israeli news daily.
US President Joe Biden is expected to hold a crucial phone call on Wednesday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel's plans to strike Iran, 'Axios' reported citing three US officials. The news outlet added that the US officials added Biden and Netanyahu will also discuss the wars in Lebanon and Gaza.
On September 23, Israel started a military operation 'Northern Arrows' against Hezbollah carrying out widespread strikes at the group's military sites in Lebanon. On September 27 Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut and beginning October 1, Israel announced the start of a ground operation in the border areas of southern Lebanon.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in a briefing on Tuesday said he had seen reports of Hezballah now wanting a ceasefire that was delinked from Gaza.
"For a year, the world has been calling on Hezballah to stop the attacks across the border into Israel. And for a year, Hezballah said that they would not do it unless there was a ceasefire in Gaza. They linked the two when the international community was saying stop the fighting, and Israel was saying if Hezballah stopped attacks across the border Israel would stop its attacks in response against Hezballah," Miller said.
"Obviously, we don't trust Hezbollah," Miller said. "But you look at what Hezbollah said in 2006 when 1701 was adopted by the UN Security Council... that they would implement 1701 - and they blew through all of their commitments.
"So there is an obvious lack of faith in Hezbollah's ability to do what it said in 2006 and do what it's saying it would do now, which is agree to an actual ceasefire that would allow Israeli civilians to return home and allow Lebanese civilians to return home," the US State Department spokesperson said.
Qassem's statement about a ceasefire, Miller said, shows that Israel has been successful in weakening the group's military power. "For a year Hezbollah wouldn't talk about a ceasefire and now that it's "on the back foot and is getting battered, suddenly they've changed their tune and want a ceasefire. I think it's not surprising given the situation they find themselves in," he said adding that "we continue to ultimately want a diplomatic solution to this conflict."
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a video message in English said Israel has "eliminated" Hashem Safieddine, the successor to Nasrallah. Netanyahu addressed the people of Lebanon directly in the message, urging them to stand up to Hezbollah and "take back your country," and threatening them with a Gaza style war if they do not, CNN reported.