New Delhi, May 14 -- The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group called on the government on Tuesday to withdraw from direct talks with Israel this week in Washington, calling them a concession and instead urged for indirect negotiations.

Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold two days of talks in Washington, starting Thursday, in an attempt to end the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict that broke out two months ago, following the Iran war, and discuss the future of relations between the two countries, which have officially been at war since Israel was created in 1948.

Hezbollah leader urges indirect talks

Naim Kassem said in a letter directed to the group's officials that direct negotiations benefit Israel and that they are "conc...