Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri conveyed to the Trump administration on Sunday that Hezbollah stands ready for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire with Israel, according to Berri's top adviser Ali Hamdan. The message arrived as fighting in Lebanon intensifies and risks unraveling broader diplomatic efforts to end the regional conflict.
Hamdan told Axios that he personally called U.S. Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa with Berri's proposal. "I told him on behalf of Speaker Berri that Hezbollah will be ready to totally commit to a comprehensive ceasefire and we are ready to guarantee it," Hamdan said.
The overture came in response to a partial ceasefire proposal the Trump administration floated over the weekend. That plan would have required Hezbollah to halt attacks on northern Israel while Israel agreed to spare Beirut from bombing. Berri rejected the phased approach in favor of a full immediate agreement that would also include a maritime component and obligate Israel to stop destroying homes in southern Lebanon.
An Israeli official subsequently confirmed that Hezbollah had indeed expressed readiness for a complete ceasefire without demanding an immediate Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. U.S. and Israeli officials have long questioned whether Berri can guarantee Hezbollah's compliance, though he maintains direct communication channels with the group's leader Naeem Qassem, who operates in hiding.
The diplomatic window appears to be narrowing rapidly. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement threatening strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahieh District, claiming the group had violated ceasefire terms and citing the district as the location of Hezbollah's headquarters. The Israeli Defense Forces released a statement in Arabic urging residents to evacuate the area for their safety.
The escalating tensions are also threatening to derail negotiations over the broader Iran conflict. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday that Iran's negotiating team was suspending communications with the United States through intermediaries in protest of Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Israeli actions in Lebanon violated the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement and warned that Washington and Tel Aviv would face consequences for any violations.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, U.S. officials told Berri they doubt Netanyahu would accept a full ceasefire arrangement. A State Department spokesman declined immediate comment on the proposal. The U.S. has previously urged Israel to avoid striking Beirut as part of a deescalation strategy, though one official suggested Sunday that position could shift. "The U.S. does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organization," the official stated.
Hamdan disputed characterizations from U.S. officials that Berri's response had been evasive or disappointing, noting the Lebanese speaker was simply pushing back against what he viewed as an inadequate proposal. "Why a partial ceasefire? Let's have a full ceasefire," Hamdan said, recounting Berri's reaction to the American plan.
The Iranian threat extends beyond traditional military responses. Tasnim reported that Iran and what it described as its "Axis of Resistance" are prepared to retaliate in the Strait of Hormuz and activate operations in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea should Israeli actions against Hezbollah continue.
Author James Rodriguez: "Berri's willingness to commit Hezbollah to a full ceasefire could be a genuine opening, but Netanyahu's public threats against Beirut suggest the Israeli government is in no mood for restraint right now."
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