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Qassem urged Lebanese authorities to back down from their “grave sin” that is putting Lebanon in a spiral of instability.
By United with Israel Staff
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected Lebanon’s planned direct talks with Israel, denouncing the move as a “grave sin” and warning it would push the country deeper into instability.
“We categorically reject direct negotiations with Israel, and those in power should know that their actions will not benefit Lebanon or themselves,” Qassem said in a statement. He urged Lebanese authorities to “back down from their grave sin that is putting Lebanon in a spiral of instability.”
Qassem dismissed any outcome from the talks. “These direct negotiations and their outcomes are as if they do not exist for us, and they do not concern us in the slightest,” he said, adding that Hezbollah would “continue our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people.”
“No matter how much the enemy threatens, we will not back down, we will not bow down, and we will not be defeated,” he added.
His remarks come as the United States pushes to stabilize the northern front. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire would be extended by three weeks following talks in Washington with Israeli and Lebanese representatives, part of an effort to reinforce the agreement despite ongoing violations.
Tensions on the ground, however, remain high. Hezbollah has continued launching rockets and drones toward Israeli territory, repeatedly breaching the ceasefire in recent days. The IDF has responded with airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone consultation with Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and other senior security officials to assess the ongoing violations in the north.
Netanyahu’s scheduled court testimony was canceled earlier in the day as the security situation took priority.
Israeli officials have warned that continued attacks by Hezbollah are steadily eroding the ceasefire and increasing the risk of renewed conflict.
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