BEIRUT - Lebanese parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri vowed on Tuesday that the Western-backed ruling coalition would not negotiate with Hezbollah with a gun to its head.

He also said the government would not surrender to Hezbollah's allies, Syria and Iran.

"They are asking Beirut to raise white flags and they are asking Saad Hariri, (Druze coalition partner) Walid Jumblatt and the March 14 majority to agree to the return of the Syrian regime in Lebanon or hand over decision-making to the Syrian and Iranian regimes," Hariri said.

"This is totally impossible ... They cannot get Saad Hariri, Walid Jumblatt or any March 14 leader to surrender to Iran or Syria," he told a news conference.

The anti-Syrian majority refuses to negotiate with the Hezbollah-led opposition "with a pistol aimed at our heads," Hariri said. "This will not happen even if they fire at us."

Fighting between Hezbollah and mostly Sunni and Druze pro-government loyalists since Wednesday has killed at least 62 people, in the worst sectarian unrest since the 1975-1990 civil war.

The clashes erupted after the government ordered a probe into the telecommunications network of Hezbollah and the sacking of Beirut airport's security chief over his suspected links to the Shiite militant group.

Hezbollah, which seized control of mostly Muslim west Beirut on Friday before handing it over to the army, has accused the government of declaring a war against it and demanded that the decisions be revoked.

"The civil disobedience campaign will only end when Prime Minister Fuad Siniora officially rescinds his decisions and when his camp returns to the negotiating table," an official with Hezbollah ally Amal told AFP.

Hezbollah and Amal have said that the only way to solve 18 months of political deadlock that has prevented the election of a president is through dialogue.