Hezbollah Rejects Lebanon-Israel Direct Talks
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem denounced Lebanon’s planned direct negotiations with Israel as a “grave sin” that risks destabilizing the country.
Strong Opposition Stance
In a statement aired on Al-Manar, Qassem urged authorities to abandon the talks: “We categorically reject direct negotiations with Israel… their actions will not benefit Lebanon.” He accused the government of neglecting rights, conceding land, and opposing “resistant people.”
Diplomatic Context
The US-hosted ambassador meetings—the first in decades—yielded an initial Israel-Hezbollah truce and aim for a lasting peace deal between the 1948 foes. Beirut prioritizes ceasefire amid ongoing tensions.
Lebanese authorities have repeatedly stated that the goal of the US-sponsored negotiations is to stop the war, secure Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and return displaced people to their homes after the fighting forced more than a million people to flee.
“These direct negotiations and their outcomes are as if they do not exist for us, and they do not concern us in the slightest,” Qassem said.
“We will continue our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people,” he added.
“No matter how much the enemy threatens, we will not back down, we will not bow down, and we will not be defeated.
We will not give up our weapons… and the Israeli enemy will not remain on a single inch of our occupied land.
Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Since the truce went into force on April 17, Israeli strikes have killed at least 36 people, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
Hezbollah has meanwhile claimed several attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, as well as missile and drone launches at northern Israel, saying it is responding to Israeli “violations”.
According to details of the truce released by the US State Department, which said both Lebanon and Israel agreed to it, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting Hezbollah to prevent “planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks”.
Hezbollah strongly rejects this clause, saying the text of the agreement was not presented to the cabinet, in which the group and its allies are represented.
“Has the government decided to work alongside the Israeli enemy against its own people?” Qassem said in his speech.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon killed more than 2,500 people since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.