War of words between Hezbollah and the president

TT

Published 17.08

           

          A man with a Hezbollah flag in Beirut's southern suburbs on Saturday. Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP/              TT 

Iran-backed Hezbollah is coming down hard on the Lebanese government, calling talks with Israel a "grave sin".

The country's president responds that it is "treason" to drag his country into war for foreign interests.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem demands that the Lebanese government call off direct negotiations with Israel - talks he calls a "grave sin" that puts Lebanon in a "spiral of instability".

- Those in power should know that their actions will not benefit Lebanon or themselves, Qassem said on the Shiite movement's al-Manar television channel on Monday.

He also promised that Hezbollah would not lay down its arms and that Israel would not be allowed to remain on occupied land.

“Foreign interests”

Shortly afterwards, a response came from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, whose government reached a ceasefire agreement with Israel after talks in the United States.

“What we are doing is not treason, but treason is committed by those who bring their country into war to achieve foreign interests,” the president wrote in a statement.

He further said that the goal of the negotiations is to reach an end to the war, similar to the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

The relationship between the neighboring countries has been ravaged by conflict for decades and is complicated by the fact that Hezbollah’s political wing is represented in parliament and government.

Attacks in eastern Lebanon

Despite a ceasefire announced in mid-April, Israel and Hezbollah have continued their attacks.

On Monday, Israel attacked Hezbollah positions in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, the Israeli military said. Areas in southern Lebanon have also been attacked, according to the statement.

Since the outbreak of the war, more than 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, 36 of whom have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect in mid-April, AFP writes, citing figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel on March 2, to which Israel responded with extensive air strikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.