Qassem says negotiations success depends on Israel's response
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech aired Wednesday that the success of the ongoing U.S.-led negotiations with Israel depends on the Israeli response and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's “seriousness.”
“Israel cannot impose its conditions on us,” Qassem stressed, emphasizing that Hezbollah will not accept a truce with Israel that would violate Lebanon's sovereignty.
“Our negotiation is not under fire, because Israel is also under fire,” Qassem added.
“We are working on two tracks -- the battlefield and negotiations -- and we will not suspend the battlefield as we wait for the negotiations,” he said, noting that the negotiations must “fully halt the aggression and preserve Lebanese sovereignty.”
“The occupation expected that it could take through the agreement what it has not taken on the battlefield but this is not possible,” Qassem pointed out.
“We will stay on the battlefield no matter how high the cost might be,” Hezbollah’s leader added, stressing that his group has not and will not change its “national resistance positions” and that it believes in “the solidarity of the army, the people and the resistance.”
As for the ongoing ground battles in south Lebanon, Qassem said: “The enemy is afraid to advance due to the losses it has incurred and there have been some attempts to penetrate a number of areas.”
“Our goal is to prevent the Israeli army from settling inside Lebanon and we have achieved victories in doing so,” he said.
“We are not working to prevent the Israeli army from advancing into Lebanon, but rather to fight it after it enters,” he explained.
Qassem also warned Israel against launching further airstrikes on the capital Beirut, in the wake of three deadly strikes on Ras al-Nabaa, Mar Elias and Zokak al-Blat.
"The response must be expected on central Tel Aviv," Qassem said.
One of the strikes had killed Hezbollah’s spokesman Mohammed Afif and four members of his media team.
Source: Naharnet
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