Hezbollah urges Lebanon to halt direct talks with Israel over territorial map

Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government Sunday to halt direct talks with Israel after the Israeli Foreign Ministry published a map depicting large parts of southern Lebanon as Israeli territory.

The group said the map exposed Israeli ambitions over Lebanese land and resources, accusing Tel Aviv of seeking to impose new realities on the ground.

The map, published Friday on the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Arabic-language account on the US social media platform X, showed large areas of southern Lebanon incorporated into Israel.

Hezbollah argued that the map undermined the negotiating track, accusing Israel of using direct talks to buy time while seeking to consolidate its presence on Lebanese territory.

The group called on the government to end direct negotiations and lodge an urgent complaint with the UN Security Council.

It also urged Lebanon's Higher Defense Council to convene an emergency meeting and called for a unified response to defend the country's sovereignty, territory and resources.

Lebanese authorities had not publicly commented on the map as of Sunday evening. Beirut has repeatedly demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The statement comes after Lebanese and Israeli negotiators concluded a seventh round of US-mediated talks in Rome on Thursday.

The talks focused on implementing a framework agreement reached on June 26.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon have continued since March 2. The attacks have killed 4,333 people and wounded 12,250 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, including areas held for decades as well as territory seized during the 2023-2024 war, where its forces advanced more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory.