Updated

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem again rejected the US-backed framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, calling it 'illegitimate, unlawful, humiliating.' He specifically criticized so-called 'pilot zones' where the Lebanese army is supposed to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure, framing the plan as a capitulation to Israeli and American pressure. A new report indicates Hezbollah is also rebuffing Lebanese government overtures to withdraw from the strategic Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, a standoff reportedly linked to delays in scheduling further US-backed talks. Analysts suggest the group's continued intransigence over the ridge could prompt the Israeli military to expand its offensive posture in southern Lebanon.