ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kataib Hezbollah issued a statement on Friday welcoming the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, describing it as proof of the resilience of the Palestinian people and saying that Israel's “despair and failure hidden behind false pride” forced them to accept the deal.

“The al-Aqsa Flood [Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel] is not a passing battle, but the call of a nation that shook the slumber of history,” the militant group said, adding that “dignity is not begged for but seized.”

The statement praised Gaza’s residents and fighters for enduring Israel’s campaign, saying they had demonstrated that “nothing is impossible in confronting the arrogant powers and reclaiming rights through resistance and steadfastness.”

Kataib Hezbollah said Israel’s failure to free hostages, halt resistance operations, or weaken Palestinian morale forced it to accept the ceasefire, “not out of mercy or a desire for peace, but out of despair and failure hidden behind false pride.”

The group also warned that Israel and its allies could shift the conflict into other arenas through “deception and political trickery,” urging what it called the “Axis of Good” to remain vigilant.

Israel has agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “momentous development” and endorsed by US President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, hostages are expected to be freed as early as Monday or Tuesday, while Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw troops from parts of Gaza, and permit daily aid convoys into the territory.

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that the ceasefire had taken effect and that forces were beginning to pull back in line with the government-approved deal.

Kataib Hezbollah previously expressed grave doubts of the US-proposed deal, accusing Washington of enabling what it called "Zionist barbarity" and genocide against Palestinians, calling the proposal “more extreme than the positions of Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.”

"It is inconceivable that the executioner would appoint himself a judge and claim to offer justice," the group said in a statement. 

Washington on Friday singled out Kataib Hezbollah as a key target in its campaign against pro-Iran groups operating in Iraq.

“The United States is pursuing maximum pressure on Iran. We are targeting the IRGC-Quds Force, which supports Iran’s regional terrorist partners and proxies, and two Iraq-based groups, Kataib Hezballah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq,” US State Department Principal Deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a post on X.

The US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned individuals and companies accused of helping Iran evade sanctions and fund its proxies in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah.