BEIRUT, June 26 — Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Friday said Israel has “no option” but to unconditionally withdraw from Lebanese areas it occupies, and he rejected any normalisation in ties between the countries.

“Israel has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land... Israel must leave unconditionally,” he said in a televised address to tens of thousands of supporters marking Ashura.

As Lebanese and Israeli officials hold direct talks in Washington, Qassem said his group would accept “no normalisation, no cancellation of the state of hostility, no gains for Israel, and no partial presence on Lebanese soil... Israel must leave humiliated and defeated, and that is what will happen.” — AFP