Hezbollah rejects negotiations with Israel, says Lebanon has right to defend itself

Hezbollah on Thursday said that there was no prospect of any political negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and insisted that it has a right to defend itself. 

A source close to Hezbollah's political leadership said the declaration followed recent US and Egyptian pressure on Lebanon's leaders to open direct negotiations.

Lebanon and Israel are still technically in a state of war, but all the recent armed conflicts with Israel were fought by Hezbollah, not the Lebanese military.

The only diplomatic contact between Israel and Lebanon is through a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which includes the United States, France and the United Nations.

Reporting by AFP