Lebanese PM accuses Hezbollah chief of 'serving Israel' ahead of talks
A poll conducted by the International Information Company in Lebanon in May found that 84% of Druze, 77% of Maronites, and 72% of Orthodox Christians wanted a peace deal with Israel.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has accused Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem of serving Israel's interests rather than Lebanon's sovereignty, ahead of crucial peace talks. The harsh criticism came as the seventh round of US-backed negotiations between Beirut and Jerusalem was just beginning, following Qassem's accusations that Beirut was making "free concessions" to Israel. Instead, Qassem demanded Israel "open the door to dialogue with the resistance."
Salam's claim is a direct response to Hezbollah's attack on Israel on October 8, 2023, which followed Hamas' invasion of southern Israel and the murder of over 1,200 individuals. The fragile ceasefire that had been in place since November 2024 was shattered in March 2026 when Hezbollah launched an attack in response to the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Harel Chorev, a senior researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center, argued that Hezbollah's actions in the war had led to "historic milestones" for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), including the assassination of Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and the removal of most of the group's top leadership. The war proved disastrous for Hezbollah, with key members being killed and substantial infrastructure lost.
However, Chorev believes that many Hezbollah supporters may still be reluctant to abandon the group due to decades-long indoctrination.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
