Hezbollah Leader Urges Lebanon to Cancel Direct Talks with Israel Amid Ongoing Conflict

Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, has urged the Lebanese government to cancel a scheduled meeting with Israel in Washington, emphasizing the group's rejection of direct negotiations amid ongoing hostilities. In a televised address on Monday, Qassem stated, "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity... We call for a historic and heroic stance by cancelling this negotiating meeting."

The meeting, set for Tuesday, would mark the first direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in decades. Lebanon seeks a ceasefire as a prerequisite, while Israel focuses on peace negotiations with Hezbollah's disarmament as a priority, without committing to a ceasefire or withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The conflict, which began on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, has resulted in over 2,000 deaths in Lebanon and displaced more than a million people.

In southern Lebanon, particularly in the strategic town of Bint Jbeil, heavy clashes continue between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. Israeli troops have surrounded the town, while Hezbollah fighters are reportedly besieged.

The Lebanese government, committed to disarming Hezbollah, initially called for direct talks early in the war. However, both sides remain divided on the agenda and conditions for negotiations.

Qassem criticized the Lebanese leadership for criminalizing Hezbollah's military activities and their diplomatic approach with Israel, stating that it has not advanced Lebanon's position. He also condemned the government's decision to expel Iran's ambassador and criminalize the presence of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

As the situation escalates, the International Committee of the Red Cross has called for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers, following incidents where Red Cross personnel were killed or injured in Israeli strikes.