Ready to sacrifice everything, will never lay down arms: Hezbollah

Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, says his party supports the Lebanese state's diplomatic efforts aimed at stopping Israeli aggression. However, he has criticized the inclusion of civilian representatives in recent negotiations with Israel.

In a televised speech, he said the state has chosen the path of diplomacy to "end aggression and implement the November 2024 ceasefire agreement" and "we support it continuing in this direction". On Wednesday, Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held direct talks for the first time in decades. According to the Lebanese government, the goal is to prevent the possibility of a new war in Lebanon.

Naim Qassem criticized the move, calling on authorities to reconsider it. He said, "We consider it an additional mistake on top of the sin of giving the army the task of disarming Hezbollah in August." He asked, "Have you given a free concession? This concession will not change the enemy's position, nor its aggression, nor its occupation."

Naim Qassem accused Israel and the United States of wanting Lebanese authorities to negotiate "under the fire of bullets". He said, "They want to eliminate our existence, but we will defend ourselves, our people, and our country. We are ready to sacrifice everything and will never lay down our arms." He accused Israel of violating last year's ceasefire agreement, which aimed to end more than a year of clashes between Israel and his party.