Hezbollah’s Qassem: Lebanon Faces Existential Threat, We Will Not Disarm for Israel
Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem warns of an existential threat to Lebanon, rejecting US-Israeli demands to disarm and urging full Israeli withdrawal.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned on Friday that Lebanon and its resistance movement are confronting an existential threat amid escalating Israeli aggression, describing it as the gravest danger currently facing the country. He reaffirmed Hezbollah’s rejection of demands to surrender its weapons to Israel.
Speaking at a memorial ceremony for senior Hezbollah commander Ali Abdel Moneim Karaki (Hajj Abu al-Fadl), Qassem acknowledged that while the resistance could not fully prevent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, it managed to halt further escalation through a ceasefire agreement between the Lebanese state and Israel. According to him, this agreement places the primary responsibility for defending Lebanon on the state.
Qassem stated, “We have handed this stage over to the Lebanese state, which now holds primary responsibility. The resistance took action when the state was absent, but once it returned to the forefront and conditions allowed, we supported the state in assuming its role.”
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Hezbollah’s leader emphasized that the main threat Lebanon faces comes from Israel and the United States, while internal disputes—such as the debate over disarming Hezbollah—should be secondary. “When we are threatened, we must first address the external danger before tackling internal issues,” he said, adding that countering aggression remains Lebanon’s foremost challenge.
Qassem questioned why Israeli aggression continues despite the agreement, noting that the United States has proposed a new draft deal aimed at Hezbollah’s disarmament. “This proposal is solely to reassure Israel,” he said, pointing out that disarming Hezbollah has always been a central Israeli demand.
According to Qassem, the proposed agreement involves phased Israeli withdrawals in exchange for disarming the resistance and providing intelligence, with Israel retaining the authority to determine the timing of these steps. “We will never surrender,” he declared. “Israel will not get our weapons.”
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Qassem insisted that Lebanon’s protection depends on the continued strength of the resistance and cooperation with the state. “We, alongside the Amal Movement and all resistance forces, stand for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence. We believe Lebanon belongs to all its citizens and should be a homeland where our children can live with dignity and pride,” he said.
He warned that the existential threat targets not only Hezbollah but the entire Lebanese society across all sects. Qassem urged unity among Lebanese factions to ensure the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and called on the United States, France, the United Nations, and other international stakeholders to exert pressure on Israel to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory.
(PC, AJA)