Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that Hezbollah is open to reaching a new and sustainable ceasefire agreement with Israel. Berri believes that US President Donald Trump is currently the only international party capable of exerting real pressure to impose a genuine truce and ensure Israel’s strict adherence to it. According to an extensive report published by The New York Times, Berri, who is leading the main mediation efforts between Hezbollah and the US administration, called on Trump to intervene urgently and immediately to impose a new cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
This call comes in the wake of recent Israeli threats to target the southern suburbs of Beirut. In his press interview, Berri stated, “No one in the international community can impose a genuine and serious ceasefire except Trump,” adding emphatically, “This is the only way to end the escalation.”
He indicated that Hezbollah is fully prepared to commit. He added, “If there is a serious ceasefire, I personally guarantee Hezbollah’s commitment to its terms, and the message comes directly from the party’s leadership.”
A fragile calm and escalating violations on the ground
The Lebanese parliament speaker’s remarks come as diplomatic efforts intensify to prevent the complete collapse of the fragile truce between the two sides. This truce, which came into effect last April, has been repeatedly violated before escalating violently in the past week.
Field reports indicated that Israeli forces had begun advancing deeper into Lebanese territory, crossing previously established lines of contact. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fighters continued to target troop concentrations and strategic locations in northern Israel. According to official figures, the war has thus far resulted in the deaths of over 3,200 Lebanese and 30 Israelis.
Netanyahu’s threats and Rubio’s diplomatic initiative
These developments coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s explicit orders to target Beirut’s southern suburbs, triggering a mass exodus of thousands of residents toward the Lebanese capital and its surrounding areas. Alongside this escalation on the ground, Lebanon and Israel are preparing for a new round of indirect talks in Washington, D.C., under U.S. auspices.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has proposed an initiative whereby Hezbollah would cease its attacks in exchange for Tel Aviv refraining from expanding its operations in Beirut. In this regard, the Lebanese Embassy in Washington confirmed receiving assurances that Hezbollah has agreed to the U.S. proposal for a mutual cessation of hostilities.
In a notable sign of tactical flexibility, Berri clarified that Hezbollah does not necessarily link the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon to the broader understandings between Washington and Tehran. He said, “Whether the agreement is separate from Iran or linked to it is irrelevant. What we really need is an immediate ceasefire; Israel wants to negotiate under fire, and that is very costly and painful for us.”
