Hezbollah chief says group received US ceasefire proposal

Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem said in a televised speech that a halt to hostilities was now in Israel's hands after he and his group had reviewed and given feedback on a US-drafted ceasefire proposal to end fighting in a televised address on Wednesday.

Qassem said he is letting ceasefire talks continue to see if they will produce results or not, saying a halt to fighting relies on Israeli response and Netanyahu's 'seriousness.'

"If you attack Beirut, we will be attacking Tel Aviv," he said.

"We will not stand by while our capital is attacked."

According to him, "The attacks on us were painful, but our organization managed to recover from the price it suffered. We have strong and determined fighters."

"We have two choices," he said, "either the basket, or humiliation, and humiliation is out of our reach."

Negotiating while fighting

He maintained that Hezbollah would negotiate and fight at the same time.

Qassem claimed the terror organization would contribute effectively to a presidential election after the ceasefire.

The Taif Agreement

He additionally stated that any political steps taken and state affairs would be under the Taif Agreement.

According to Arab Studies Quarterly, the Taif Agreement called for "a disbanding and disarming of all militias and the building of a nonsectarian national army and police."

The agreement also demanded "the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops and the departure of Syrian peacekeepers within two years."