Hezbollah chief slams ‘humiliation’ of Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa expressed cautious optimism ahead of the talks in Rome.

By JNS

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Tuesday denounced the resumption of Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome, saying negotiations with Jerusalem had brought the country “nothing except shame.”

Qassem’s remarks came hours before U.S.-backed talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials were scheduled to begin in the Italian capital, where the sides are expected to discuss the implementation of a June 26 framework agreement that calls for Hezbollah’s removal from Southern Lebanon.

“Direct negotiations have brought Lebanon nothing except shame, humiliation, disappointment and one concession after another,” Qassem said, according to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen channel, which is affiliated with Hezbollah.

“We are confronting a U.S.-Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq and Yemen aimed at extinguishing the flame of the resistance and colonizing the region,” the terrorist leader claimed. “The Israeli enemy’s only option is a complete withdrawal—and it will withdraw.”

"نحيي اليوم ذكرى أربعينية الإمام الحسين (ع). فعاشوراء هي استمرار للحياة العزيزة، إذ ترتكز على دعامتين أساسيتين: الأولى نصرة الحق، والثانية أداء التكليف الشرعي، حتى وإن أدى ذلك إلى الشهادة والتضحيات الكبرى"

كلمة الأمين العام لحزب الله الشيخ نعيم قاسم#الميادين pic.twitter.com/DTV68cLWnj

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 4, 2026

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa expressed cautious optimism ahead of the talks in Rome, while noting that “a great deal of technical work remains” to ensure “civilian safety on the ground.

“There is a meaningful difference between drafting an agreement on paper and implementing it responsibly,” Issa said of the framework agreement between Jerusalem and Beirut, adding that “moving too quickly risks jeopardizing the very civilians this process is meant to protect.”

He emphasized that both sides “must agree on a clear, workable process before proceeding.”

The Aug. 4–6 summit in the Italian capital follows months of intensifying military and diplomatic developments.

The 14-point Trilateral Framework Agreement reached on June 26 calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, while Jerusalem has maintained that a full troop withdrawal will occur only after the security threat is neutralized.

High-level engagement continued on July 21, when Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Trump pledged support for Lebanon’s stabilization efforts and expressed hope that Beirut might eventually join the Abraham Accords.