Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has defended his decision to engage directly with Israel following criticism from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday, stressing that he would not accept a "humiliating agreement".
Speaking at the presidential palace during a meeting with a delegation from the southern Nabatieh governorate, Aoun said, according to a statement from the presidency: "My duty is to bear responsibility for my decisions and lead my country on the path to salvation, within the principles I have affirmed. My goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, similar to the Armistice Agreement."
He then asked rhetorically, "Was the Armistice Agreement humiliating? I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement."
Without directly mentioning Hezbollah, the Lebanese president said: "Some criticise us for deciding to go to negotiations, claiming there is no national consensus. I ask: Did you have national consensus when you went to war?".
He added, "Before the negotiations even began, some started levelling accusations and treasonous charges, claiming we are going to the negotiations in surrender. We say to them, wait until the negotiations begin and then judge the outcome."
On Monday, Hezbollah's Qassem said he "categorically rejects" the Lebanese leadership’s efforts to engage with Israel in direct talks, amid repeated Israeli attacks and continued hostilities.
Qassem said in a statement that these talks "do not benefit the people of Lebanon," calling them a "grave sin" that will "destabilise the country". He also vowed that "the resistance" will remain ongoing, will never lay down its arms and will not be defeated, amid Israel’s near-daily attacks and violations of the ceasefire .
"It is the responsibility of the Lebanese authorities to retract their dangerous mistakes that are plunging Lebanon into a spiral of instability. They are responsible for halting direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy and adopting indirect negotiations," he said.
"The Israeli enemy will not remain on a single inch of our occupied land , and our people will return to their lands, down to the last inch of our southern border with occupied Palestine," he added.
Qassem’s comments came after Hezbollah on Monday said it targeted a group of Israeli army vehicles and soldiers at Tel al-Nahhas on the outskirts of Kfarkela in southern Lebanon.
A guided missile was fired in a "direct hit" towards the Israeli targets, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. Video footage published by Israeli media on Monday showed a Hezbollah drone crashing and exploding near an Israeli military helicopter as it evacuated wounded soldiers from southern Lebanon.
This came after Israeli media announced that one soldier, Idan Fooks of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, was killed in the incident on Sunday.
Prior to Qassem’s statement, the group said that its continued targeting of Israel is a "legitimate response to its persistent violations of the ceasefire".
Sunday witnessed the deadliest day since the original 10-day truce came into force more than a week ago, after Israeli airstrikes on several towns in southern Lebanon killed 14 people .
Hezbollah added that it "clearly and decisively affirms that the enemy's continued violation of the ceasefire, its attacks involving shelling, bulldozing, destruction of homes, and targeting of civilians"
It warned that Israel's "continued occupation of Lebanese territory and violations of its sovereignty, will be met with a response."
The group said the Israeli military has carried out at least "500 land, sea, and air violations" since 17 April. Hezbollah’s response has also prompted the heads of the councils of Israeli towns near the Lebanese border to "suspend classes and bus services" starting Tuesday in order to "protect students in light of the deteriorating situation", the Israeli official broadcasting authority said.
Lebanon was dragged deeper into the wider Middle East conflict on 2 March, after Iran-backed Hezbollah responded to the US-Israeli killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by targeting Israel.
Israel's large-scale offensive on the country's south, Beirut and its southern suburbs , and parts of the eastern Beqaa region has since killed more than 2,500 people, with around a million displaced.
A US-brokered 10-day ceasefire, intended to pause hostilities and create conditions for negotiations for a long-term agreement, was declared on 16 April. The ceasefire has now been extended by three weeks, effective as of Monday.
Lebanon engaged directly with Israel for the first time in over three decades earlier this month, in negotiations for a ceasefire. Hezbollah criticised these talks, while President Aoun has defended them, stressing that Lebanon "negotiates for itself" and will not allow itself to be a "pawn in anyone's game".
Despite the truce, Israeli forces have continued to launch attacks across the Lebanese south.
On Monday, an Israeli air raid on the town of Qleileh in the Tyre district killed at least one person, NNA said.
Israeli artillery shelling also hit Wadi Zibqin and other villages in the western sector of the Tyre district, while warplanes launched an attack on the entrance to the town of Kfar in the Bint Jbeil district, cutting off the road to the town.
At least 36 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the 16 April ceasefire.