Hezbollah rejects direct talks with Israel

Israeli Minister Israel Katz has issued a stark warning to Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, stating he is 'playing with fire, and this fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon.' Katz also warned that if the Lebanese government continues to operate under Hezbollah's influence, a fire will ignite that will 'burn Lebanon's cedars.' This rhetoric escalates the war of words following Qassem's recent statement categorically rejecting any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. The exchange underscores the deepening political and military tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.