Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday accused Hezbollah of working to "collapse" the state and expressed Beirut's readiness for "direct negotiations" with Israel, drawing the backing of his Syrian counterpart for his goal of disarming the Iran-backed group.
Lashing out at Hezbollah over its March 2 attack against Israel, which has drawn a devastating Israeli retaliation, Aoun told European officials "Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos... all for the sake of the Iranian regime's calculations".
To stop the war, the Lebanese president proposed a four-point initiative and called on the international community to help implement it.
The plan included "establishing a full truce" with Israel, "logistical support" for the army to disarm Hezbollah, and "direct negotiations (with Israel) under international auspices".Â
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa endorsed his Lebanese counterpart on Monday saying, "We stand alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah".
But the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad vowed on Monday evening that his group would "defend our existence whatever the cost", saying the group has "no other option to preserve honour, pride and dignity than the option of resistance".
The statements came as the war between Israel and Hezbollah pushed into a second week, with Israel carrying out heavy strikes on a financial firm linked to the group.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Lebanese authorities said on Monday that Israel's attacks since March 2 have killed at least 486 people and wounded at least 1,313.
AFP has not been able to carry out a detailed breakdown of the figures.Â
According to the government, more than 660,000 people have registered as displaced, with 120,000 sleeping at official shelters as of Monday.
- Evacuation warnings -
Israel said on Monday it killed the head of Hezbollah's Nasr unit operating in part of southern Lebanon, Abu Hussein Ragheb.
Earlier, the Israeli military struck branches of Al-Qard al-Hassan, a US-sanctioned financial firm, after issuing evacuation warnings, according to Lebanese state media and AFP correspondents.
The Israeli army said it was "striking Hezbollah infrastructure" in the southern suburbs.
An AFP photographer in the area witnessed a massive explosion, while an armed Hezbollah member fired warning shots into the air to encourage residents to evacuate from their homes.
The Israeli army renewed previous orders for people in the area to leave.
Al-Qard al-Hassan is a lifeline for mainly Shia Muslim communities battling the years-long financial crisis in Lebanon that has locked people out of their bank deposits.Â
It says it has more than 30 branches nationwide, mainly in Hezbollah bastions such as Beirut's southern suburbs, but also in central Beirut and other major cities.
In Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, an area outside of Hezbollah's traditional sphere of influence, an AFP correspondent saw ambulances and civil defence vehicles gather around a branch of Al-Qard al-Hassan.
Israel also bombed the firm's branches during its last war with Hezbollah in 2024, including the one in Sidon.Â
Meanwhile, in the Christian southern Lebanese town of Al-Qlayaa, Israeli tank fire killed a priest according to state media and a medical source.
- 'Path of allegiance' -
Hezbollah on Monday celebrated the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran's new supreme leader.
"We renew our pledge of loyalty to this blessed approach and our steadfastness on the path of allegiance," the group said in a statement.
It also claimed responsibility for at least 10 previous attacks against Israel and its forces.
Earlier on Monday, it also said it had fought Israeli troops who landed in eastern Lebanon by helicopter.
Israeli strikes on sites belonging to the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Health Committee in the Tyre and Jwaya areas in south Lebanon killed two paramedics and wounded six, the health ministry said, accusing Israel of "systematic targeting of rescue teams".
Despite the bombing in Beirut, Lebanon's parliament met on Monday and postponed legislative elections by two years due to the conflict.
The polls had been scheduled to take place in May.
Commented