Lebanon president hits back at Hezbollah over Israel talks criticism

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun fired back at Hezbollah on Monday after the group's leader called direct talks with Israel a "grave sin."

Aoun said his goal was to end the state of war through a deal modelled on the 1949 armistice agreement. He accused those who dragged Lebanon into conflict of committing treason, not those trying to end it.

What did Lebanon's president say about the Israel talks?

Aoun said his aim is "to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, similar to the armistice agreement" of 1949. He rejected claims that the negotiations amounted to a national humiliation, stating he would not accept a humiliating deal. His comments came directly after Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem condemned the talks and called on the government to reverse course.

Why is Hezbollah rejecting direct negotiations with Israel?

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem described the direct talks as a "grave sin" and said they would destabilise Lebanon. "We categorically reject direct negotiations with Israel, and those in power should know that their actions will not benefit Lebanon or themselves," Qassem said in a statement broadcast on the group's channel, Al-Manar.

He accused the government of neglecting Lebanon's rights, surrendering land, and acting against its own people.

Qassem also warned that Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons and that Israeli forces would not remain on Lebanese soil. "Has the government decided to work alongside the Israeli enemy against its own people?" he said.

The statement marked one of the sharpest public rebukes of the Aoun government since the talks began.

How did the Lebanon-Israel talks begin?

Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States met twice in Washington in recent weeks, the first such meetings in decades. After the first round, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire that came into effect on April 17. A three-week extension followed after the second round of talks.

Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war for decades. They signed an armistice in 1949 following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, but never reached a formal peace agreement. Aoun invoked that agreement to argue that ending hostilities does not require surrendering dignity or sovereignty.

Does Aoun have national consensus for the Israel talks?

Aoun acknowledged the criticism directly, questioning whether Hezbollah sought national consensus before taking Lebanon to war. "Some want to hold us accountable over the decision to go to negotiations on the grounds that there is no national consensus," he said. "My question to them is: when you went to war, did you first obtain national consensus?"

The direct talks represent the latest flashpoint in a deepening rift between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. The government moved to disarm the group last year and formally outlawed its military activities in March.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Are Israeli strikes continuing despite the Lebanon ceasefire?

Despite the ceasefire, fighting has not stopped. The Israeli army announced a new wave of strikes on Monday targeting the eastern Bekaa region and southern Lebanon, describing the sites as "Hezbollah infrastructure."

Lebanese state media reported airstrikes across several southern towns, along with artillery shelling and demolition operations in at least two locations.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 36 people since the truce came into force, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures. Hezbollah has claimed several retaliatory attacks on Israeli troops, as well as missile and drone launches into northern Israel, citing Israeli ceasefire "violations."

The U.S. State Department confirmed both Lebanon and Israel agreed to the truce terms, which grant Israel the right to strike Hezbollah in response to "planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks." Hezbollah rejects that clause, saying the agreement text was never presented to the cabinet.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,500 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.