Hezbollah rejects direct negotiations with Israel and vows not to give up weapons

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said the group rejects direct negotiations with Israel “completely” and will not abandon its weapons, in a statement addressing Lebanon’s political approach and ongoing talks.

Qassem said on Monday that Hezbollah “categorically rejects direct negotiations,” warning officials that their current approach “will not benefit Lebanon nor them.”

He called on the authorities to halt direct talks and instead pursue what he described as an indirect negotiation path.

The Hezbollah leader also said that the recent ceasefire “would not have been achieved without Iran,” referring to discussions in Pakistan, which he linked to what he described as the “legendary resilience of the resistance and its supporters in Lebanon.”

Qassem stressed that Hezbollah will not give up its arms, saying that “the field and resistance have proven our readiness for confrontation.”

He added that the group still hopes the authorities will reverse what he described as a “mistake,” insisting that direct negotiations and their outcomes “do not exist for us and do not concern us in any way.”

Qassem reiterated that Hezbollah considers direct negotiations invalid, saying the group will continue what he described as resistance and respond to ongoing attacks.

He concluded by saying Israel “will not remain on a single inch of occupied land,” adding that displaced residents will eventually return “to every last part of our southern border.”