Internal tensions in Lebanon reached a fever pitch on Monday as Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected US-sponsored direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv, as the Israeli military continued to systematically demolish residential blocks in southern towns despite a nominal ceasefire.
In a speech delivered on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the group is not concerned with the direct negotiations being conducted by the Lebanese government, describing their outcomes as “as if they do not exist.”
Qassem said the group would not relinquish its weapons at this time, affirming that its priorities remain “resistance,” Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, and reconstruction. “The resistance’s weapons are necessary to repel aggression, and we will not give them up,” he added.
Qassem further called on the government to revoke its decision from early last month to disarm the group, arguing that the move “criminalizes the resistance,” asking: “Has the authority decided to work side by side with the Israeli enemy against its own people?”
The accusations were met with an immediate response from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. “Some hold us accountable for the decision to negotiate on the grounds of a lack of national consensus. I ask: when you went to war, did you first secure national consensus?” the president said Monday during a meeting with local representatives from Hasbaya and Arqoub.
He emphasized that the negotiations represent the “official position of the Lebanese state” and carry the only official cover, urging skeptics to wait for the results before passing judgment.
Aoun had previously appointed a delegation led by veteran diplomat Simon Karam to represent Lebanon in Washington, asserting that “no one will substitute for the state in this mission.”
In their first direct diplomatic talks in 33 years, Lebanese and Israeli officials met twice this month in Washington, leading to a preliminary ceasefire on April 16, which U.S. President Donald Trump extended for three weeks on April 23.
The agreement stipulates that Israel refrain from offensive operations but includes a clause granting it cover to strike at any time against “imminent attacks” under the pretext of a “right to self-defense.”
On the ground, the situation remains volatile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that operations would continue to dismantle Hezbollah’s capabilities, accusing the group of undermining the negotiations. Netanyahu has also ordered the military to intensify strikes against Hezbollah in the south.
On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes killed 14 people, including two children and two women, bringing the total toll of the assault since March to 2,509 killed and 7,755 wounded, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army has also continued targeting the press. On Wednesday, an Israeli strike hit journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj in the town of Tayri. Khalil was killed and her body was later found, following the obstruction of rescue efforts to reach her under the rubble.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the incident as part of a “systematic Israeli targeting” of media workers in Gaza and Lebanon, documenting the killing of more than 200 journalists and media workers at the hands of Israeli forces between 2023 and 2025.
