Tensions Persist in Lebanon as Hezbollah Sets 5 Major Conditions for Negotiations with Israel

BEIRUT — As tensions continue to simmer across Lebanon, Hezbollah’s leadership has laid out five major preconditions for any potential negotiations with Israel, firmly declaring that the militant group will under no circumstances surrender its weapons and will continue to retaliate against what it describes as Israeli aggression.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Hezbollah chief reaffirmed the group’s combative stance, stating that no amount of diplomatic pressure or external intervention would compel the organization to abandon its military posture. The group has made clear that any dialogue must be preceded by concrete Israeli concessions on the ground.
Senior Hezbollah official Qassem Naim sharply criticized the Lebanese government, accusing it of making hasty and unnecessary concessions in ongoing ceasefire discussions. “We reject what the government has offered in haste,” Naim stated, warning that Hezbollah would not accept any agreement that seeks to limit the group’s military capabilities or territorial presence in southern Lebanon.
According to sources familiar with the group’s position, Hezbollah’s five key conditions include a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanese territory, an immediate halt to Israeli airspace violations, the release of all Lebanese prisoners held by Israel, the lifting of economic blockades, and a guarantee of non-interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
The announcement has further complicated international efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire. The United States, France, and several other Western nations have urged all parties to pursue diplomatic solutions, warning that continued escalation risks drawing the broader region into a wider conflict.
Regional analysts note that the gap between Hezbollah’s demands and Israel’s stated positions remains vast, making a near-term resolution appear increasingly unlikely as both sides maintain hardened stances on the ground.