��������

BEIRUT: Hezbollah said Thursday it has a right to defend itself against Israel and rejected the prospect of any political negotiations between Lebanon and its southern neighbor.
The statement came after Israel warned that it could intensify operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the group of rearming.
“We reaffirm our legitimate right... to defend ourselves against an enemy that imposes war on our country and does not cease its attacks,” Hezbollah said.
The militant movement, which is backed by Iran, also rejected the prospect of “any political negotiations” between Lebanon and Israel, saying that such talks would “not serve the national interest.”
Hezbollah called its statement an open letter addressed to the Lebanese people and their leaders.
Later on Thursday, the Lebanese government is due to hold talks to examine the progress of its push to disarm the militant group — the only movement that refused to hand over its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war.
It said it remained committed to a ceasefire reached with Israel last year, after months of hostilities that escalated into all-out war.
Despite the November 2024 agreement, Israel maintains troops in five areas in southern Lebanon and has kept up regular strikes.
As part of the agreement, the Lebanese government has ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm Hezbollah, but Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz last week accused Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun of “dragging his feet.”
“The Lebanese government’s commitment to disarm Hezbollah and remove it from southern Lebanon must be implemented. Maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify — we will not allow any threat to the residents of the north,” he said.
Netanyahu meanwhile accused Hezbollah of attempting to rearm, after it suffered staggering losses in its last war with Israel.
In September 2024, Israel killed the group’s longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah, along with many other senior leaders over the course of the war.
Since the ceasefire, the United States has increased pressure on Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, a move opposed by Hezbollah and its allies.
Israel has stepped up its strikes on Lebanon in recent weeks, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah positions.