Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has rejected an upcoming meeting between the Lebanese government and Israel in Washington, DC, calling the diplomatic effort "futile" as Israeli forces intensify attacks across Lebanon.
In a televised speech on Monday, Qassem urged the Lebanese government to take a "historic and heroic stance" by refusing to attend the talks. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, will involve the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States to discuss potential direct negotiations.
Qassem characterized the planned negotiations as a "ploy" designed to pressure Hezbollah into disarming.
“Israel clearly states that the goal of these negotiations is to disarm Hezbollah, as [Israeli Prime Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu repeatedly states. So, how can you go to negotiations whose objective is already clear?” Qassem said.
“We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself,” he added.
Escalating violence and humanitarian toll
While diplomats prepare for talks, the ground war continues to expand. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Monday that troops have completely surrounded the southern town of Bint Jbeil, where the military claimed to have killed more than 20 Hezbollah fighters operating from a hospital compound on Sunday.
Lebanon's health ministry denied these claims, accusing Israel of targeting civilians and medical facilities. According to the BBC, paramedics in Nabatieh reported no evidence to support Israeli claims that ambulances and health facilities are being used by Hezbollah.
One paramedic at a destroyed ambulance station recounted the death of a colleague killed by an Israeli strike while on a phone call with his wife.
According to Al Jazeera, the conflict has caused massive displacement and death since the escalation in March. Israeli bombardment and a ground invasion in the south have killed at least 2,055 people, including 165 children and 87 medical workers. More than 1.2 million people have been forced from their homes, and over 6,500 others have been wounded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that his objectives are clear. “We want the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations,” Netanyahu said.
Qassem, however, argued that the talks represent a “free concession” to Israel and the United States, calling for a Lebanese consensus to reject the shift toward direct negotiations.
