An Amal official rejects any direct negotiations with Israel in the absence of a cease-fire

BEIRUT — Mustafa al-Fouaani, head of the Executive Bureau of the Amal Movement, said during a memorial ceremony for victims of Israeli attacks that the group rejects any form of direct negotiations with Israel, particularly in the absence of a cease-fire, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

“A cease-fire is the fundamental condition for any negotiations, and negotiating under fire is unacceptable and unjustified,” he said.

Fouaani added that the mechanism committee established to oversee the November 2024 cease-fire remains the “practical and executive framework” for halting hostilities and ensuring full implementation of the agreement, which he said Israel has not respected.

He also addressed “those who doubt and those who have not read the Amal Movement’s charter,” without naming anyone, saying: “The Amal Movement is not measured by slogans or words, but by actions and sacrifices. It was born out of suffering, and thousands of martyrs have fallen in defense of the land and dignity.”

Israel and Lebanon are set to begin negotiations Tuesday to end the war that resumed on March 2 between Israel and Hezbollah, in the wake of the conflict launched by Israel and the United States against Iran. More than 2,000 people have already been killed in Lebanon. The Amal movement, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, is Hezbollah's main political ally.