Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said that the group’s weapons will not be part of upcoming negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, describing the issue as an internal Lebanese matter. In a televised statement, he rejected any external involvement in discussions about the group’s arsenal and urged Lebanese authorities to withdraw from direct talks, which he said only benefit Israel.

A third round of negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli representatives is scheduled to take place in Washington, following a ceasefire announced by the President of the United States after their first direct meeting in decades. The talks have sparked political divisions within Lebanon, with Hezbollah distancing itself from the process and insisting it is not bound by the outcomes.

Qassem accused Israel and the United States of seeking to dominate Lebanon and warned that Hezbollah would continue fighting, vowing to turn the battlefield into 'hell' for Israeli forces. He also said that any agreement between Iran and the United States that halts aggression in Lebanon would strengthen efforts to end hostilities, while maintaining that Lebanese authorities are responsible for pursuing the country’s sovereign interests.