Hezbollah rejects renewed ceasefire agreed by Israel and Lebanon

Hezbollah rejects renewed ceasefire agreed by Israel and LebanonJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHenry MooreandSamantha GranvilleReutersSmoke billows from the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike on ThursdayThe Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has emphatically rejected the terms of a US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.In a strongly-worded statement, the Iran-backed group's leader Naim Qassem said negotiations had been "futile" and "humiliating" for Lebanon, and rejected categorically by "broad segments of the Lebanese people". It comes after Israel and Lebanon announced a renewal of their fragile ceasefire with the creation of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon in which Hezbollah operatives would be banned.In a joint statement released on Wednesday by the US State Department, the three countries said the deal was "contingent on a complete cessation" of fire by Hezbollah.Watch: Lebanon-Israel ceasefire deal made in 'hope rather than expectation'But responding on Thursday, the leader of Hezbollah - which was not part of the talks - said the "supposed ceasefire", interpreted as Hezbollah halting fire and withdrawing fighters from the southern front with Israel, amounted to surrender and would fulfil Israel's objectives.The mood was similar on the streets of Beirut's southern suburbs - a stronghold of Hezbollah, also known as Dahieh - with a storekeeper expressing doubts about the agreement.Sami, who has run his business there for 25 years, told the BBC: "You cannot have a ceasefire from one side, it's going to be an all side or no ceasefire."There had been strikes in Lebanon on Thursday, he said. If this was supposed to be a truce, what did that make it?"This is surrender. This is not a peace agreement. This is a surrender agreement," he added.Across the road, Hadi, whose family store has been around for 35 years,...