Beirut negotiating with Israel is "not treason," Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday, according to Israeli and Arab media.
According to KAN News, Aoun had made the comment as part of a direct message to the Hezbollah terrorist group, whom he himself accused of treason.
"Treason is the one who takes his country to war for external interests," said Aoun. "My goal is to reach an end to the war with Israel in accordance with a ceasefire agreement, an agreement that stipulates that Israel will not carry out any offensive military action against Lebanese targets."
Aoun noted that he had expressed Lebanon's concerns to the US regarding the ceasefire, saying it is "the first necessary step before any negotiations that follow, and we reiterated this in the two meetings we held at the ambassadorial level.
"We made it clear that Israel will not carry out any attack against Lebanese targets, civilian or military, in any part of Lebanon," added Aoun.
"Before the negotiations began, there were those who had already leveled accusations of betrayal, claiming that this was a surrender," Aoun continued. "We tell them: Wait for the negotiations to begin, and judge the results.
"How long will the people of southern Lebanon pay the price for the wars of others on our country?" asked Aoun. "If this were a war on Lebanon, we would support it, but this is a war for the interests of others, and therefore I completely oppose it."
Hezbollah's Qassem rejects 'direct negotiations' with Israel
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that the terror group "categorically rejects direct negotiations" with Israel, according to a Monday report by the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen.
"It is the responsibility of the Lebanese government to stop direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy and return to indirect negotiations," said Qassem.
He added that direct negotiations and their outcomes "are as if they do not exist as far as we are concerned, and they do not concern us, neither closely nor distantly."
Qassem further added that Israel has "reached a dead end," and Hezbollah's "resistance is ongoing, strong, and cannot be defeated."
James Genn contributed to this report.