Qassem backs diplomacy but slams adding civilian to negotiations committee

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Friday that the inclusion of a civilian Lebanese representative in the Mechanism committee is “a measure that clearly violates all the previous official statements and stances that had called for halting the enemy’s hostilities prior to involving any civilian in the Mechanism.”

“What happened was a free concession that will not change the enemy’s stance nor its aggression and occupation,” Qassem added, warning that “Israel and America want to keep Lebanon under fire.”

Adding that Lebanese authorities’ move is “an additional misstep that is added to the August 5 misstep,” Qassem said, while also describing the Lebanese step as a “free concession” to Israel.

Qassem also said that Hezbollah supports the Lebanese state's pursuit of diplomacy to end Israeli attacks.

The state has chosen "diplomacy to end the aggression and implement" the ceasefire deal "and we support it continuing in this direction," Qassem said.

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of the year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, a move Lebanon's president said was to avoid prospects of another war in Lebanon.

Comparing Lebanon to a “ship,” Qassem warned that endorsing Israel’s stances would lead to “the puncturing of the ship and the drowning of everyone,” calling on Lebanese authorities to study their steps well.

“Hezbollah will not agree to its disarmament and the limit which we must stop at in any agreement is exclusively linked to the area south of the Litani,” Qassem reiterated.

“We will defend ourselves and we will not surrender,” he stressed, cautioning that “the Israeli attacks are not targeted against Hezbollah's arms or the resistance, but are rather aimed at paving the way for gradual occupation.”

“This enemy is an expansionist enemy and it has not honored the agreement … America and Israel have no business in interfering in what the Lebanese decide,” Qassem warned.