Hezbollah is facing mounting pressure as Israel intensifies strikes and regional tensions continue to rise. The group now finds itself under military, political, and strategic pressure from multiple fronts amid fears of a wider regional conflict.

Hezbollah Under Attack From All Sides, Hezbollah Under Attack From All Sides

Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem went on television Monday (Apr 13) to urge Lebanon's government to pull out of a planned diplomatic meeting with Israel in Washington scheduled for Tuesday (Apr 1), calling the talks "futile" and demanding what he described as a "historic and heroic stance" from Beirut. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity," Qassem said in the televised address, calling on Lebanese officials to cancel the meeting outright.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/out-of-this-world-the-records-nasa-s-artemis-ii-broke-on-its-way-to-the-moon-and-back-in-pics-1775873988051">Out of this world: The records NASA's Artemis II broke on its way to the moon and back | In Pics</a><h2>Why does Hezbollah want Washington talks cancelled?</h2>In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said that they reject the negotiations and called on Lebanon to take a historic and heroic stance against the "usurping Israeli entity".This comes as the peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad failed after over 20 hours of talks.The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are due to sit down in Washington on Tuesday for preliminary discussions about the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries, a prospect that has divided Lebanese politics sharply. Lebanese authorities have insisted that any formal talks must be preceded by a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been raging since March 2. Israel has pushed back on that sequencing, saying it would rather skip straight to a broader peace agreement with Lebanon, a country it has technically been at war with for decades.Qassem also took aim at the Lebanese government directly, accusing Beirut of "backstabbing" Hezbollah by declaring its military activities illegal when the war began. He dismissed suggestions that the Lebanese army could serve as a mechanism for disarming his group. "Israel and the US clearly said they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm and fight Hezbollah," he said. "But the army cannot do that."Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fact-check-did-macron-post-a-video-of-jeffrey-epstein-kissing-melania-trump-truth-behind-the-viral-clip-1775806317213">FACT CHECK: Did Macron post a video of Jeffrey Epstein kissing Melania Trump? Truth behind the viral clip</a>These negotiations are futile and require a Lebanese agreement and consensus". Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters had already taken to the streets on Friday and Saturday to protest the planned talks, with some directing their anger personally at Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, accusing him of being a "Zionist."<h2>Fighting continues on the ground</h2>On the ground, the fighting has not paused for the diplomacy. The Israeli army said Monday that its forces had completely encircled Bint Jbeil, a significant southern Lebanese town, while Hezbollah continued to claim attacks on Israeli troops advancing into the area. Israel has said its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at establishing a security zone along the border. Qassem warned that northern Israeli communities "will not be safe, even if the Israelis were to enter any area of Lebanon."The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon has been severe. Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over a million since Hezbollah opened a second front linked to the broader regional war.Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.&nbsp;

Why is Naim Qassem pushing Lebanon to walk away from Israel talks? Calling negotiations “futile,” the Hezbollah chief wants Beirut to take a “historic stance” instead.

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Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem went on television Monday (Apr 13) to urge Lebanon's government to pull out of a planned diplomatic meeting with Israel in Washington scheduled for Tuesday (Apr 1), calling the talks "futile" and demanding what he described as a "historic and heroic stance" from Beirut. "We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity," Qassem said in the televised address, calling on Lebanese officials to cancel the meeting outright. Also read | Out of this world: The records NASA's Artemis II broke on its way to the moon and back | In Pics Why does Hezbollah want Washington talks cancelled? In a televised address, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said that they reject the negotiations and called on Lebanon to take a historic and heroic stance against the "usurping Israeli entity". This comes as the peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad failed after over 20 hours of talks. The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are due to sit down in Washington on Tuesday for preliminary discussions about the possibility of direct negotiations between the two countries, a prospect that has divided Lebanese politics sharply. Lebanese authorities have insisted that any formal talks must be preceded by a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah war, which has been raging since March 2. Israel has pushed back on that sequencing, saying it would rather skip straight to a broader peace agreement with Lebanon, a country it has technically been at war with for decades. Qassem also took aim at the Lebanese government directly, accusing Beirut of "backstabbing" Hezbollah by declaring its military activities illegal when the war began. He dismissed suggestions that the Lebanese army could serve as a mechanism for disarming his group. "Israel and the US clearly said they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm and fight Hezbollah," he said. "But the army cannot do that." Also read | FACT CHECK: Did Macron post a video of Jeffrey Epstein kissing Melania Trump? Truth behind the viral clip These negotiations are futile and require a Lebanese agreement and consensus". Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters had already taken to the streets on Friday and Saturday to protest the planned talks, with some directing their anger personally at Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, accusing him of being a "Zionist." Fighting continues on the ground On the ground, the fighting has not paused for the diplomacy. The Israeli army said Monday that its forces had completely encircled Bint Jbeil, a significant southern Lebanese town, while Hezbollah continued to claim attacks on Israeli troops advancing into the area. Israel has said its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at establishing a security zone along the border. Qassem warned that northern Israeli communities "will not be safe, even if the Israelis were to enter any area of Lebanon." The human cost of the conflict in Lebanon has been severe. Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over a million since Hezbollah opened a second front linked to the broader regional war. Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

Why is Naim Qassem pushing Lebanon to walk away from Israel talks? Calling negotiations “futile,” the Hezbollah chief wants Beirut to take a “historic stance” instead.Scroll down to read more.

'A backstab to the resistance': Hezbollah demands Lebanon cancel 'futile' Washington talks with Israel

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday (March 2) said it carried out targeted operations against senior Hezbollah figures in Beirut, alongside strikes on dozens of Hezbollah and Iranian command centres. The Israeli military announced that it killed Hussein Moukalled, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence services, during a strike in Beirut on Sunday, amid ongoing exchanges of fire with the Lebanese group. "The IDF now confirms that in a precise strike in Beirut last night (Sunday), the terrorist Hussein Moukalled, who served as the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, has been eliminated," the army said in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;The military also reported hitting a weapons storage facility near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. "In response to the rockets fired from Lebanon to Israel, the IDF precisely struck senior Hezbollah terrorists in Beirut, dozens of Hezbollah &amp; Iranian terrorist regime command centers, and a site that was used by Hezbollah to store weapons in the Tyre," IDF Said.&nbsp;"The IDF is prepared for a multiple-front scenario and to combat any threat posed to Israel and Israeli civilians," IDF added. The developments come amid renewed hostilities following missile launches from Lebanon toward Israel. Israeli officials signalled readiness for escalation across multiple fronts if required.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-iran-war-no-indication-iranian-nuclear-sites-were-hit-iaea-says-1772453064491">Israel-Iran war: 'No indication', Iranian nuclear sites were hit, IAEA says</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🔴ELIMINATED: Hussein Makled, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters was eliminated in a precise strike in Beirut.&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2028445615462527244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah’s armed operations, describing them as “illegal acts,” and urged the group to surrender its weapons to the state. According to Al Jazeera, Salam stressed that any military action originating from Lebanese territory outside state authority is unacceptable. He said Hezbollah’s activities should be restricted to political engagement and called on Lebanon’s official security institutions to enforce the decision.&nbsp;Salam also indicated that Beirut is open to restarting negotiations with Israel, with support from international partners and civilian specialists. He reaffirmed Lebanon’s adherence to the 2024 ceasefire agreement between the two sides.Separately, the Israeli military issued an evacuation alert for residents in the southern Beirut suburb of Burj al-Barajneh ahead of an anticipated strike.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-golestan-palace-unesco-world-heritage-site-damaged-amid-strikes-1772450056602/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-golestan-palace-unesco-world-heritage-site-damaged-amid-strikes-1772450056602/embed</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🔴 In response to projectile fire toward northern Israel, the IDF is striking Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. Hezbollah is operating on behalf of the Iranian regime, opening fire against the Israeli civilians, and bringing ruin to Lebanon. IDF troops have prepared for such a…&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/2028272770631471558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In a message posted on X, Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya warned civilians to distance themselves from buildings allegedly linked to Hezbollah. "You are located near facilities and assets belonging to Hezbollah, where the (Israeli military) will act against them forcefully in the near term," she said. "For your safety and the safety of your family members, you must evacuate this building and those adjacent to it immediately and stay away from them by a distance of at least 300 metres," the post stated, accompanied by a map marking the location.

Israel confirms killing of Hezbollah intelligence chief, Hussein Moukalled, in Beirut strike

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday (March 2) said it carried out targeted operations against senior Hezbollah figures in Beirut, alongside strikes on dozens of Hezbollah and Iranian command centres. The Israeli military announced that it killed Hussein Moukalled, the head of Hezbollah's intelligence services, during a strike in Beirut on Sunday, amid ongoing exchanges of fire with the Lebanese group. "The IDF now confirms that in a precise strike in Beirut last night (Sunday), the terrorist Hussein Moukalled, who served as the head of Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters, has been eliminated," the army said in a statement on Monday. The military also reported hitting a weapons storage facility near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. "In response to the rockets fired from Lebanon to Israel, the IDF precisely struck senior Hezbollah terrorists in Beirut, dozens of Hezbollah & Iranian terrorist regime command centers, and a site that was used by Hezbollah to store weapons in the Tyre," IDF Said. "The IDF is prepared for a multiple-front scenario and to combat any threat posed to Israel and Israeli civilians," IDF added. The developments come amid renewed hostilities following missile launches from Lebanon toward Israel. Israeli officials signalled readiness for escalation across multiple fronts if required. Also Read: Israel-Iran war: 'No indication', Iranian nuclear sites were hit, IAEA says

Israel killed Hezbollah’s intelligence chief Hussein Moukalled in a precise Beirut strike, as tensions flare between Israel and the Lebanese group

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Hezbollah Under Attack From All Sides, Hezbollah Under Attack From All Sides

Hezbollah demands Lebanon cancel 'futile' Washington talks with Israel

Israel confirms killing of Hezbollah intelligence chief in Beirut strike