Smoke escapes from a building targeted by an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, on April 5, 2026. (Credit: Ibrahim Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah said in a statement on Monday that following the U.S.-Iran deal reached hours earlier, that Israel "must understand that there will be no return to what existed before March 2", when Israel carried out near-daily strikes on Lebanon without any response from the group.
The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Monday to immediately end the war in the Middle East on all fronts, including Lebanon, with a signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Geneva. Hours later, Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said that "Israel will not withdraw from the territories it has seized in Lebanon."
"The resistance, which has been and remains the vigilant eye protecting the homeland and its people, will not accept any aggression that violates national sovereignty and sheds the blood of its people", Hezbollah's statement reads. "It will remain committed to Lebanon’s legitimate and established right to defend its land, people, and sovereignty until full withdrawal and the return of prisoners are achieved", it added.
Hezbollah also called on people to "remain patient and to await instructions from the relevant authorities regarding a safe return to their villages and towns, in order to ensure their safety and avoid any risks that may arise from potential Israeli violations."
The Lebanese Army had also urged displaced residents to delay their return to southern border villages. Since Monday morning, some residents have been returning to Lebanese southern villages, despite the risks.
Moreover, Hezbollah called for "reviewing all calculations and policies pursued by the authorities, learning from past experiences, avoiding illusions and failed bets, and acknowledging that a unified Lebanese stance and reliance on true friends is the best way to safeguard national interests."
Hezbollah has repeatedly criticized the direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations that have been taking place in Washington, calling authorities to stop offering "free concessions" to Israel.
Furthermore, the group congratulated Iran on its "major achievement" of reaching a memorandum of understanding with the United States. Hezbollah expressed its "deep gratitude" for Iran's "firm positions alongside Lebanon, its people, and its resistance, and for their insistence that Lebanon be included in any agreement leading to a cessation of war that preserves its rights."
It also extended "greetings to all countries that participated, contributed, and assisted in efforts to remove obstacles to achieve this agreement," stressing that Lebanon "must make good use of this regional and international umbrella to achieve its sovereignty and liberate its land within the framework of internal unity."
