There can be no talks with Israel without stopping the war in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire. This was stated by the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, who is the most senior Shiite politician and a close ally of "Hezbollah", quoted by "Reuters".
According to Berri, the priority should be "stopping the war before any political path". He rejects any talks without guarantees that Israel will stop the attacks.
After the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Israeli forces resumed strikes on southern Lebanon in March, targeting the Iranian-backed "Hezbollah".
20 killed and 46 wounded in the past 24 hours in Lebanon
After the latest Israeli strikes
Tehran has said that any deal to end the war must include a ceasefire in Lebanon, although Washington says the issues are separate.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April, which was extended until May. But while the fighting has eased, it has not stopped, with Israel maintaining its occupation of southern Lebanon and destroying villages while "Hezbollah" continues to attack Israeli forces.
Earlier today, the Israeli military issued a warning to residents of four villages to leave their homes immediately, accusing "Hezbollah" of violating the ceasefire and saying it intended to act against it.
"Hezbollah" said it had carried out 11 operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
The Lebanese government wants a permanent agreement with Israel to end the recurring cycle of Israeli strikes, but has not said it wants a peace deal. Israel says any agreement must permanently disarm "Hezbollah".
US President Donald Trump, who hosted delegations from both sides for ceasefire talks last month, said there was a "strong chance" to reach a peace agreement this year and that he wants to host a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun soon.
Hezbollah and Nabih Berri have objected to the face-to-face meetings.
Aoun said he supports ambassadorial-level talks with Israel to establish a ceasefire, followed by expanded negotiations on Lebanon's other demands, including a full Israeli withdrawal, the return of displaced persons, and the release of prisoners held by Israel.
The war has deepened divisions in Lebanon over Hezbollah's status as an armed group. Since last year, the government has sought to disarm Hezbollah peacefully.