Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said direct negotiations between Lebanese representatives and Israel brought only 'shame, humiliation, disappointment, and one concession after another' for Lebanon, according to a report. Qassem accused the Lebanese political establishment of aiding Israel rather than defending Lebanese sovereignty, and claimed Israel achieved political gains but failed to achieve results on the ground as long as Hezbollah's military arm remains.
Qassem's latest remarks, reported at 10:57, continue a day of sharp criticism of the Lebanese government. Earlier today, at 10:48, he stated that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding secures an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and expressed openness to a public meeting with Syria. At 10:50, during the Arbaeen observance, he accused the government of 'shame, surrender, and continuous concessions' and called for an urgent internal dialogue.
In the current statement, Qassem escalates his attack, asserting that the direct talks have yielded nothing for Lebanon while Israel 'took everything.' He accused the political establishment of 'helping Israel instead of helping Lebanon's sovereignty.' He also claimed that Israel achieved political gains but not results on the ground, as Hezbollah's military arm still stands.
The remarks are consistent with Qassem's long-standing rejection of any diplomatic settlement that does not include full Israeli withdrawal and the preservation of Hezbollah's armed capabilities. The single-source report is unverified by independent channels.
2 developments
- DevelopingNaim Qassem: Direct talks with Israel absurd, shameful for Lebanon
- DevelopingReport: New round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations to begin Tuesday
- StrongReport: Another round of Israel-Lebanon talks begins in Rome
- DevelopingLebanese president welcomes progress in Israel talks, hints at Hezbollah undermining state integrity
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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