Hezbollah chief says group’s weapons not part of talks with Israel
Key takeaways
- A third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives is set to take place this Thursday and Friday in Washington, after the first direct meeting in decades between the two sides was held last month.
- US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire days after the first meeting.
- The talks have caused divisions in Lebanon, with Hezbollah rejecting direct negotiations with Israel and saying their outcomes do not concern the group.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Tuesday that his group’s weapons were not part of upcoming negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and vowed his fighters would turn the battlefield into “hell” for Israeli forces.
“Nobody outside Lebanon has anything to do with the weapons, the resistance… this is an internal Lebanese matter and not part of negotiations with the enemy,” Qassem said in a written statement addressed to the group’s fighters and broadcast on its Al-Manar television channel.
A third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives is set to take place this Thursday and Friday in Washington, after the first direct meeting in decades between the two sides was held last month.