In a televised address on Monday, Qassem urged the Lebanese government to take what he called a “historic and heroic stance” by refusing to participate in the proposed discussions, Al Jazeera said in a report.

Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US are scheduled to meet in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of opening direct negotiations between the two countries.

Qassem said the initiative was aimed at pressuring Hezbollah to disarm, claiming Israel had made its objective clear.

“So how can you go to negotiations whose objective is already clear?” he said.

He added that Hezbollah would not back down, saying: “We will not rest, stop or surrender. Instead, we will let the battlefield speak for itself.”

Israel stepped up its military operations in Lebanon in early March. A ceasefire nominally in place since November 2024 has been repeatedly violated, with Israel continuing near-daily strikes.

Hezbollah said its March 2 attack was in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of a US–Israel campaign against Iran.

Since then, Israeli strikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon have killed at least 2,055 people, including 165 children and 87 medical workers, according to Lebanese authorities.

More than 6,500 others have been injured, and around 1.2 million people have been displaced.

Lebanese officials say their priority is securing a ceasefire, while Israel has called for formal peace negotiations and the disarmament of Hezbollah, without committing to a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel seeks “the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons” and a long-term peace agreement.

Qassem, however, said the proposed talks would require broad Lebanese consensus to shift from non-engagement to direct negotiations, calling them a “free concession” to Israel and the United States.

His remarks came after protests in Beirut over the weekend, where demonstrators accused the government of betraying Lebanon by engaging in talks while Israeli strikes continue.

On Monday, the Israeli military said its forces had fully encircled the southern town of Bint Jbeil, while Hezbollah claimed ongoing attacks on Israeli positions in the area.

Qassem warned that northern Israeli towns would remain under threat, adding that Hezbollah rejects any attempt to strip it of its weapons.

He also accused Lebanese authorities of undermining the group by declaring its military activities illegal.

He further said that efforts to empower the Lebanese army were intended to facilitate Hezbollah’s disarmament, arguing that the military would not take such action.