Hezbollah chief outlines conditions for ending conflict as Lebanon shifts media terminology

Shafaq News- Beirut

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Tuesday that resolving the current conflict requires halting the fighting, withdrawing Israeli forces from occupied areas, releasing detainees, enabling displaced residents to return, and launching reconstruction efforts.

In a message addressed to the group’s fighters, Qassem described the ongoing confrontation with Israel as legitimate self-defense, saying battlefield developments would determine the outcome and that Hezbollah would continue its operations despite losses.

The remarks come as Lebanon’s Information Ministry issued a directive on Monday instructing official media outlets to remove the term “resistance” and replace it with “Hezbollah” when referring to the group. The move marks a shift in official Lebanese terminology, signaling, according to sources, that the state no longer formally recognizes the group’s armed wing as a “resistance,” and instead classifies its military activities outside the scope of state authority.

The directive also coincides with efforts by the Lebanese government to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel toward a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to engage in direct talks with Beirut and said France was ready to facilitate and host such discussions.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 912 people have been killed and 2,221 others injured since the start of Israeli attacks on March 2.