Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said that Israel "has no other choice" but to withdraw unconditionally from the Lebanese territories it occupies, rejecting any normalization of relations between the two countries, the Times of Israel reported.
In a televised address to tens of thousands of his supporters gathered to mark Ashura, Qassem said: "Israel has no other choice but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Israel must leave unconditionally."
At the same time, as Lebanese and Israeli representatives hold direct talks in Washington, Qassem said, that his group would not accept "no normalization, no lifting of the state of hostilities, no benefits for Israel, and no partial presence on Lebanese soil... Israel must leave humiliated and defeated, and that will happen".
Qassem stressed that the organization's position remains unchanged and excludes any form of political rapprochement or partial Israeli presence in Lebanon, amid ongoing diplomatic contacts between the countries.