ALWAGHT- Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that the Lebanese resistance will never agree to surrender its weapons to Israel.
In a televised speech from Beirut, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem strongly rejected calls for the group’s disarmament, stating that Hezbollah’s weapons are essential for defending Lebanon’s sovereignty against Israeli aggression. He warned that any effort to disarm the resistance only serves Israeli interests and would weaken Lebanon, enabling Israel to expand its occupation and settlement activities. Qassem stressed the importance of national unity and maintaining a strong defense posture, especially amid growing regional and internal threats.
Qassem highlighted that Lebanon is facing an existential threat not only from Israel, which continues to occupy key southern territories, but also from US interference and extremist groups like ISIS, under the broader project of the “New Middle East.” He criticized Western and regional actors for fueling instability and failing to support Lebanon’s economic recovery. The Hezbollah leader asserted that the movement would continue to engage in both resistance and reconstruction efforts, accusing the US of encouraging Israeli violations of ceasefire agreements and stoking internal divisions.
Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Sheikh Qassem condemned Israeli actions as systematic war crimes carried out with US backing. He questioned the silence of Arab states and human rights advocates in the face of Israel’s starvation tactics and attacks on displaced civilians. He also paid tribute to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, assassinated in Tehran, and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, killed in an Israeli airstrike, honoring their contributions to the resistance and Lebanon’s defense.
