Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon to boycott Israel talks in Washington
Hezbollah's Naim Qassem rejected upcoming Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, calling them futile as Israeli forces intensify attacks on Lebanon.
10:33 PM
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has called on Lebanon's government to withdraw from planned talks with Israel, describing the negotiations as a futile effort that serves Israeli interests.
In a televised speech Monday, Qassem urged the Lebanese government to adopt "a historic and heroic stance" by refusing to attend the scheduled meeting. Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are set to meet in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries.
Qassem characterized the talks as a mechanism to pressure Hezbollah into disarming. "Israel clearly states that the goal of these negotiations is to disarm Hezbollah, as Netanyahu repeatedly states. So, how can you go to negotiations whose objective is already clear?" he said during the speech.
The Hezbollah leader rejected any prospect of laying down weapons. "We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself," Qassem stated.
The call comes as Israel has intensified military operations against Lebanon beginning in early March. The escalation has created a tense backdrop for the diplomatic efforts scheduled to take place in Washington.