Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem on Monday called on Lebanon's government to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington, branding any direct negotiations "futile" and accusing Beirut of making a "free concession" to Israel and the United States. In a televised address, Qassem urged Lebanese officials to take "a historic and heroic stance" by withdrawing from the talks, in which the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US were scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the prospect of formal negotiations between the two countries.

Qassem argued that the talks were designed not to bring peace but to pressure Hezbollah — the Iran-backed Lebanese militant and political movement — into disarming. He pointed to repeated statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Saturday that Israel's goals are "the dismantling of Hezbollah's weapons" and "a real peace agreement that will last for generations," as evidence that the outcome had already been decided. "How can you go to negotiations whose objective is already clear?" Qassem asked. Lebanon's government has insisted that securing a ceasefire must come first, but Israel has dismissed that condition, preferring to pursue a broader peace framework.

The dispute reflects deep fractures within Lebanon over how to respond to an ongoing Israeli military campaign that has killed more than 2,000 people — including at least 165 children and 87 medical workers — wounded over 6,500, and displaced approximately 1.2 million since fighting escalated on March 2. Hezbollah says its renewed hostilities began in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel has since intensified its air campaign and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, with its military announcing Monday that troops had completely surrounded Bint Jbeil, a key town in the south. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Beirut over the weekend, accusing Prime Minister Nawaf Salam of betrayal.

Qassem also accused the Lebanese government of "backstabbing" Hezbollah by declaring the group's military activities illegal at the start of the conflict, and dismissed suggestions that the Lebanese army could be empowered to disarm his organisation. "We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself," he said, warning that northern Israeli communities "will not be safe" regardless of how far Israeli forces advance into Lebanese territory.

The standoff underscores the fundamental gap between the parties: Israel and the US are pushing for a negotiated disarmament of Hezbollah as part of a lasting settlement, while Hezbollah rejects negotiations altogether and Lebanon's fragile government is caught between international pressure and domestic opposition. Whether Lebanese officials proceed with Tuesday's Washington meeting despite Hezbollah's demands will be a significant test of the government's authority and strategic direction.