Hezbollah’s Qassem: Trump peace plan serves Israeli strategic goals
Shafaq News – Beirut
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Saturday that recent US and Israeli actions are part of a broader strategy to advance a “Greater Israel,” using both diplomacy and force to reshape regional power.
Speaking on the anniversary commemorating Hezbollah commanders Nabil Qaouq and Suhail al-Husseini killed by Israel, Qassem accused Israel of pursuing long-term dominance with US backing, arguing that even apparent retreats are “tactical maneuvers to achieve strategic goals.”
Read more: Greater Israel: Mythical dream or looming threat?
He framed the Gaza war as central to this agenda and dismissed President Donald Trump’s peace plan as a political weapon tailored to secure Israeli interests. He said it was first shared in draft form with Arab governments before being rewritten in closed-door meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asserting that some Arab leaders were “shocked” by the plan’s terms and requested clarifications.
Criticizing provisions such as early-stage hostage transfers and stripping local authority over governance, Qassem described the proposal as “an Israeli plan dressed in American clothing” and argued it mirrors Israel’s five conditions for ending the Gaza war, identifying four objectives behind its timing: shielding Israel from international scrutiny, silencing critics in the US and Europe, rehabilitating Israel’s global image, and reasserting its narrative amid growing backlash.
Trump’s 20-point plan, unveiled September 29 alongside Netanyahu, calls for an immediate ceasefire, a full hostage-prisoner exchange, phased Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and the creation of a transitional government under international oversight.
Hamas confirmed on October 3 that it had submitted a formal response to mediators, offering to release all captives—alive and deceased—and hand Gaza’s administration to a neutral, independent body, while stressing that further negotiations are needed for long-term arrangements.
Earlier today, Netanyahu ordered a temporary pause in military operations in Gaza after Trump urged an immediate ceasefire to advance the peace deal.
