Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared Friday evening that any attempt to disarm the "resistance" is a direct service to Israel and will be firmly opposed. In his speech, Qassem said, “We will not allow anyone to strip Hezbollah or the resistance of its weapons. This idea should be removed from the Lebanese political dictionary altogether.”
He argued that "resistance" is not an optional stance but a necessary response to ongoing Israeli aggression and occupation, especially given what he described as the Lebanese state's limited capacity to defend its people and territory. “The resistance is a reaction to the state's inability to protect the land and its citizens,” he said.
Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah’s weapons are not the source of Lebanon’s problems. “Calls to forcibly remove those weapons are an invitation to internal conflict, and a provocation aimed at dividing the army and the resistance, ultimately weakening the state,” he added.
Commenting on UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire in South Lebanon, Qassem reiterated that Israel continues to violate the agreement, while Hezbollah and the Lebanese state remain in compliance. “Let's first see Israel's commitment to the agreement, and then we will talk,” he said, adding, ”After Israel fulfills its commitments, Lebanon will start discussing the other clauses of 1701.”
He stressed that any national defense dialogue must be based on principles such as preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty, liberating its occupied lands, and confronting all forms of aggression. He also revealed positive exchanges with President Joseph Aoun regarding implementing the resolution south of the Litani River.
Qassem also addressed reconstruction efforts, asserting that rebuilding war-damaged areas is not a favor granted to Lebanon but a national right. He rejected attempts to link reconstruction to Hezbollah's disarmament, saying, “They say they will tie reconstruction to our weapons; we say we tie our weapons to reconstruction.”
In conclusion, Qassem said Hezbollah is open to future talks on a national defense strategy at the appropriate time but warned against setting preconditions or timelines. He also rejected US tutelage over Lebanon and confirmed that Hezbollah will run in the upcoming municipal elections in full coordination with the Amal Movement and allied parties.
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