The pro-Iranian Hezbollah warned Thursday that Lebanon must not be coerced into new negotiations with Israel, saying such talks would only advance the strategic interests of Israel and the United States.
In an open letter to President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the group said the government must prioritise halting Israeli aggression and enforcing the existing ceasefire.
Hezbollah cautioned that Lebanon should not yield to what it called “aggressive blackmail” nor engage in discussions serving Israel’s agenda at the expense of Lebanese sovereignty and national stability.
The militia reiterated its “legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression” while defending Lebanon’s sovereignty alongside the army and citizens, vowing to respond to any renewed Israeli provocations.
Although a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah had lasted nearly a year, both sides continued to accuse each other of repeated violations along the volatile Lebanon–Israel border.
Israel claimed it targeted Hezbollah positions almost daily, strikes that frequently caused casualties and had intensified regional tensions amid growing fears of broader confrontation between the two long standing foes.
Beirut reportedly faced pressure from Israel and the United States to disarm Hezbollah before year’s end, a demand the militant group had repeatedly rejected as unacceptable foreign interference.
Hezbollah insisted that “the exclusivity of arms” cannot be determined under external pressure but through national consensus and a comprehensive defence strategy protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. (dpa/NAN)
