Qassem in his letter also blasted the Lebanese government for conducting direct talks with Israel, and said the talks should not include discussions of Hezbollah\u2019s disarmament, which is sought by both Israel and the government in Beirut.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one outside Lebanon has any say in the weapons, the resistance, or the organization of Lebanon\u2019s internal affairs,\u201d Qassem said. \u201cThis is an internal Lebanese matter and not part of negotiations with the enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n A third round of the Israeli-Lebanese talks is set to take place on Thursday and Friday in Washington, after the first direct meeting in decades between the two sides was held last month.<\/p>\n \t Trump announced a ceasefire in Lebanon days after the first meeting, but the talks have caused divisions in Lebanon, with Hezbollah rejecting direct negotiations with Israel and saying their outcomes do not concern the terror group.<\/p>\n In his letter, which was broadcast via Hezbollah\u2019s al-Manar television station, Qassem called for a \u201cwithdrawal from the direct negotiations, which are pure gains for Israel and free concessions by the Lebanese authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n But he also indicated Hezbollah was willing to work with the Beirut government, saying \u201cthe responsibility for negotiating to achieve Lebanon\u2019s sovereign objectives remains the responsibility of authorities in Lebanon.\u201d<\/p>\n Qassem listed five goals for which Hezbollah was prepared to work with the Lebanese government: an end to Israeli operations, the withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon, the release of Lebanese prisoners from Israel, the return of southern Lebanese civilians displaced by Israel, and reconstruction.<\/p>\n In addition, he said, Hezbollah supports the deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River.<\/p>\n \t Under a 2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal, which ended over a year of hostilities started by Hezbollah, the Lebanese military was supposed to replace Israeli troops in the area between the two countries\u2019 border and the river, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the border.<\/p>\n Israel later held on to five border points inside Lebanon, accusing the Lebanese military of failing to dismantle Hezbollah\u2019s presence in the area.<\/p>\n Israel pushed troops deeper into Lebanon and carried out massive airstrikes there after Hezbollah started firing rockets at Israel on March 2 for the first time since the 2024 agreement.<\/p>\n The terror group has said it renewed its attacks in response to both Israel\u2019s continued attacks and presence in Lebanon since that agreement, and the killing of Iran\u2019s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran on February 28.<\/p>\n \t Hostilities have continued on a smaller scale since Trump\u2019s April 16 ceasefire announcement, which came eight days into a US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran.<\/p>\n Qassem, in his Tuesday letter, vowed to turn the battlefield into \u201chell\u201d for Israel if the fighting in Lebanon continues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will respond to the aggression and violations, and we will not return to the pre-March 2 status quo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tFrom left, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, listen to President Donald Trump speak in the Oval Office at the White House, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AFP__20260417__A86F7KJ__v3__HighRes__LebanonIsraelIranUsWar-e1776466548946-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tHezbollah supporters carry the Iran-backed terror group\u2019s flag as they ride a motorcycle past destruction upon their return to their neighborhood in Beirut\u2019s southern suburbs, after a 10-day ceasefire with Israel came into effect, April 17, 2026. (Fadel Itani\/AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26060541466682-e1773161324275-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tHezbollah supporters shout slogans as they gather to mourn the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the terror group\u2019s stronghold in the southern Dahiyeh district of Beirut, Lebanon, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar)<\/p>\n
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