Hezbollah Urges Lebanese Government to Abandon 'Futile' Israel Talks
In a televised address Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared: "The resistance rejects the futile negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity."
Qassem made clear the group has no intention of standing down, stating the group "will not surrender, and the final word will be decided on the battlefield."
Challenging the very premise of the talks, Qassem questioned their legitimacy: "Israel clearly states that the goal of these negotiations is to disarm Hezbollah, as (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu repeatedly states. So how can you go to negotiations whose objective is already clear?"
He doubled down on the group's combative posture, adding: "We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself."
Qassem called on Beirut to take "a historic and heroic stance by canceling the negotiating meeting."
Despite the pressure, Lebanese and Israeli envoys remain on course to convene in the US capital Tuesday for US-brokered negotiations aimed at cementing a ceasefire and establishing a framework for direct dialogue.
Reports indicate the American side will be led by US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, while Israel will be represented by its Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon by Ambassador Nada Hamadeh-Moawad.
The diplomatic push unfolds against a grim backdrop: Israeli military operations launched since March 2 have left at least 2,089 people dead and 6,762 wounded, according to Lebanese health authorities. Israel continues to occupy portions of southern Lebanon — some territories held for decades, others seized during the conflict that erupted in October 2023 and concluded in November the following year.
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