ALBAWABA- Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has firmly rejected mounting domestic and international calls for the group to surrender its weapons, declaring that Hezbollah’s arsenal is an internal Lebanese matter and a vital part of the country’s defense against Israel.
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Qassem responded to suggestions that Hezbollah’s disarmament be tied to the November 2024 ceasefire, stating: “Weapons are not part of any deal with the Israeli enemy, they are a Lebanese affair.
These weapons are for resisting Israel, not for domestic conflict, and they represent a source of strength for Lebanon.”
Qassem warned that calls to disarm Hezbollah essentially serve Israeli interests. “We will not hand over our weapons to Israel.
Those calling for this are asking us to disarm for Israel’s benefit,” he said. Referring to recent U.S. pressure, he added: “America says hand over the missiles and drones. Barak says these weapons scare Israel. Clearly, the objective is Israeli security, not Lebanese stability.”
Underscoring Hezbollah’s continued defiance, Qassem declared, “If we are all killed, Israel will still fail to defeat us. As long as one soul remains, Lebanon will not be taken hostage by Israel.”
He also warned that the real threat to Lebanon is ongoing Israeli aggression: “The priority is not disarmament—it is reconstruction and ending the aggression. Any call to surrender our weapons while under attack is a call to disarm Lebanon in front of its enemy.”
Qassem’s remarks come amid growing pressure within Lebanon’s political circles. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the cabinet would soon reconvene to continue discussions on “extending the state’s sovereignty over all its territories exclusively through its own forces,” a clear reference to Hezbollah’s weapons. The topic had first been debated during an April 17 session.
The renewed debate follows a visit by U.S. envoy Thomas Barak, who urged the Lebanese state to monopolize arms control, and received Beirut’s formal response to Washington’s proposal on Hezbollah’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
While the full content of Lebanon’s reply remains undisclosed, it emphasized the state’s sole authority over national defense decisions.
On July 4, Qassem had reiterated that “those who demand the resistance hand over its weapons must first demand the withdrawal of the aggressor,” calling it unreasonable to pressure Hezbollah while ignoring Israeli occupation and attacks.
These developments unfold against the backdrop of rising tension along the southern Lebanon border. Despite the ceasefire in place since late 2024, Israeli air raids have repeatedly struck civilian areas. Israel’s war on Lebanon, which began on October 8, 2023 and escalated into a full-scale conflict by September 2024, has left over 4,000 people dead and nearly 17,000 injured.
