Beirut, April 27 — Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem reiterated on Monday that the group will not enter direct negotiations with Israel, calling such talks “out of the question” and vowing to continue resisting what he described as Israeli aggression.
Qassem said Hezbollah will not disarm and stressed the group’s readiness for confrontation. “We will not give up weapons, and the defence and the field have proven our readiness for confrontation,” he said. He also criticised the Lebanese government for what he termed an “unnecessary and gratuitous concession,” urging Beirut to stop direct talks with Israel and pursue indirect negotiations instead.
Separately, the Israel Defense Forces said its troops conducted operations in southern Lebanon on Sunday against what it described as imminent threats. According to the IDF statement, soldiers identified three people approaching an area south of the Forward Defense Line who posed an immediate danger to forces on the ground. The Israeli Air Force struck and killed the suspects to neutralise the threat, the military said.
The IDF said additional strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including the headquarters of the Bint Jbeil sector and other military facilities. The military reported secondary explosions at the struck sites, indicating the presence of stored weapons. “The IDF will continue to operate decisively against threats directed at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, in accordance with directives from the political echelon,” the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, opening a government meeting on Sunday, warned that Hezbollah’s actions were eroding the ceasefire in Lebanon and defended continued use of force to protect communities along Israel’s northern border. “One might get the impression that the IDF is not active there. It is active, and it is acting with force. It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are essentially disintegrating the ceasefire,” he said, saying Israel’s primary duty is to safeguard its citizens, soldiers and border communities.
Netanyahu also said Israeli operations in Lebanon are carried out under agreed rules with the United States and within coordination frameworks that involve Lebanon.
On April 23, US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and said the United States would work with Lebanon to help it defend itself from Hezbollah.
This report is based on syndicated reporting from ANI and was published as received.
