Hezbollah on negotiations between Lebanon and Israel: "A blatant violation of the charter, constitution, and Lebanese laws"

SadaNews - Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah emphasized today, Saturday, the party's refusal of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, following the Lebanese president's announcement that they will take place in Washington next week, while Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon continue, resulting in the deaths of 11 people, including paramedics.

Hundreds gathered in the coastal city of Sidon in southern Lebanon today, Saturday, to participate in the funeral of 13 members of the State Security Forces, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a government building in the city of Nabatiyeh yesterday, Friday.

The ongoing Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon come a day after the Lebanese presidency announced in a statement that a phone call took place on Friday between the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel in Washington, and the US ambassador in Lebanon who was also in the American capital.

The statement added that "during the call, agreement was reached to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the US State Department to discuss the announcement of a ceasefire and the start of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US sponsorship".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed his readiness to engage in direct talks with Israel since Lebanon became embroiled in the ongoing war in the region, which began with the United States and Israel launching aggressive attacks on Iran, after which Hezbollah joined the war on March 2, followed by extensive Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

Commenting on the announcement from the Lebanese presidency, Fadlallah stated in a press release that the step is "a blatant violation of the charter, constitution, and Lebanese laws, and a manipulation of the fate and future of the country".

He warned that it increases "the internal division at a time when Lebanon needs solidarity and internal unity to confront the Israeli aggression against it and to maintain its civil peace and the coexistence of its people".

Advisor to the Supreme Leader in Iran, Ali Akbar Velayati, also wrote in a post on the "X" platform that the Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, must "realize that ignoring the unique role of the resistance and the heroic Hezbollah will expose Lebanon to security risks that cannot be mitigated. The stability of Lebanon depends solely on the coherence between the government and the resistance".

As of today, at least 1950 people have been martyred in Lebanon since the start of the war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, in addition to more than one million people displaced from their homes.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported today, Saturday, through three separate statements, that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfar Sir in Nabatiyeh resulted in "4 martyrs, including a paramedic from the health authority" affiliated with Hezbollah, while an airstrike on the town of Zefta resulted in "3 martyrs, including a martyr in the Lebanese Civil Defense". Additionally, 3 people, including a paramedic in the health authority, were martyred in an airstrike on the town of Tull.

The national agency reported several airstrikes on dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah stated that it targeted Israeli forces within Lebanese territory and northern Israel.

Following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire this week between the United States and Iran, a disagreement arose between the two parties regarding whether the truce also applies to Lebanon, as Israel continued its intensive strikes on the country, and Hezbollah responded with counter-attacks.

However, following Aoun's announcement, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yahel Leiter, stated that his country "agreed to begin formal peace negotiations" with the Lebanese government, with which it does not maintain diplomatic relations.

Leiter added in a statement that "Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the terrorist Hezbollah organization, which continues to attack Israel and represents the main obstacle to peace between the two countries".

A Lebanese government official told the "AFP" agency on Thursday that Lebanon seeks a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel.

In light of these developments, dozens of Hezbollah supporters protested in front of the governmental palace and other areas in the capital, waving party and Iranian flags.

The Lebanese army warned in a statement today, Saturday, "against any movement that may endanger stability and civil peace, or lead to attacks on public and private property".

It stressed that "the army will intervene firmly to prevent any infringement on internal stability".