LEBANON (VINnews) – Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire now in its second month, Iran-backed Hezbollah has continued its aggression against Israel, with the terrorist group showing little interest in ending hostilities that have claimed dozens of Israeli lives and displaced communities on both sides of the border.

The fragile truce, intended to halt the conflict that resumed on March 2, has been repeatedly undermined by Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm or withdraw from southern Lebanon, according to Israeli officials. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carry out targeted operations to neutralize threats and protect civilians, the Lebanese terror group—designated a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and Britain—has persisted with attacks.

Senior Hezbollah MP Dr. Hussein al Hajj Hassan, in a rare interview, made clear the group’s uncompromising stance: Israel must halt all defensive actions, fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, release prisoners, and allow Hezbollah strongholds to be rebuilt before any talks can proceed.

“We don’t negotiate under fire,” al Hajj Hassan said. “That’s not negotiation. That’s humiliation.”

Critics view such demands as a transparent effort to buy time for rearmament while embedding deeper into civilian areas, a tactic long used by Hezbollah to draw Israeli responses that cause collateral damage. The group has a history of initiating cross-border attacks, embedding rocket launchers in villages, and operating as a proxy for Iran’s regional ambitions.

Lebanese health authorities, often aligned with Hezbollah influence, claim more than 3,000 deaths since early March, including civilians. However, these figures are difficult to independently verify and do not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, nor do they account for Hezbollah’s practice of operating from within populated areas. Meanwhile, at least 21 Israeli soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire was supposed to take effect, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by the terror group.

UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, has logged thousands of alleged Israeli violations by air, land and sea. Israeli officials counter that many such incidents involve necessary responses to Hezbollah provocations, reconnaissance of threat sites, or enforcement of the ceasefire terms that require the Lebanese army to take control of the south—something Hezbollah has actively prevented.

As indirect talks continue in Washington between Israeli and Lebanese officials, Israel maintains that true peace requires Hezbollah’s complete disarmament south of the Litani River, in line with UN Resolution 1701, and the return of displaced Israeli residents to their homes in the north.

Hezbollah’s leadership insists it seeks “a peace with dignity and independence,” yet its actions—continued attacks, rejection of phased de-escalation, and maximalist demands—suggest a preference for perpetual conflict over genuine security for Lebanon’s people. Israeli leaders have repeatedly signaled openness to a diplomatic resolution that ensures lasting calm along the border, but only if Hezbollah ceases using Lebanese territory as a launchpad for Iranian aggression.