The leader of the pro-Iranian movement “Hezbollah“ Naim Qassem said today that the organization will not engage in direct negotiations with Israel, as, according to him, such a scenario risks dragging Lebanon into a “vicious circle of instability“, world agencies reported, quoted by BTA.
“We categorically refuse to negotiate directly with Israel. "The Lebanese authorities must assume their responsibility and not make this dangerous mistake that would push the country towards new instability," Qassem stressed in an address broadcast on the movement's Al-Manar television channel.
In his statement, he pointed out that Israel, supported by the United States, has failed to crush Hezbollah, and the actions of the Israel Defense Forces have met fierce resistance and have reached a "dead end," DPA notes.
“These negotiations and everything that comes from them do not concern us at all. We continue the resistance in defense of Lebanon. We will not succumb to Israeli threats and we will not surrender our weapons. "The Israeli enemy will not remain on any part of our territory that it currently occupies," Naim Qassem said, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
The leader of “Hezbollah“ also insisted that the Lebanese authorities abandon the decision to disarm the group's military wing. He called on the government to engage in internal dialogue and greater national unity in the context of the ongoing Israeli-American military operation, TASS reports.
Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon have already held two rounds of talks in Washington at the ambassadorial level with the aim of ending the war, after “Hezbollah“ joined the conflict in the Middle East on March 2, which began after the Israeli-American operation against Iran, AFP recalls.
The talks ended with a ten-day ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump and entered into force on April 17. After the second round of negotiations, it was extended for another three weeks.
„Hezbollah“ was not directly involved in the ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, but said it would respect the agreement if Israel stopped its attacks on Lebanese territory.