Hezbollah Chief Warns Disarmament Means Annihilation for Lebanon
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem issued a fierce warning regarding the future of the militant organization, declaring that any forced disarmament is entirely unacceptable and would lead to absolute annihilation. Speaking during a televised address broadcast by the local Al-Manar television network on Sunday, Qassem strongly condemned ongoing international and domestic pressure aimed at stripping the group of its heavy weaponry. The secretary-general asserted that surrendering the faction’s extensive arsenal would effectively dismantle the defensive capabilities of Lebanon, ultimately clearing a direct path for a full-scale Israeli occupation. His highly combative remarks coincide with the anniversary of the 2000 withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, a milestone that the group traditionally utilizes to project its regional military influence and reinforce its defiance against foreign intervention.
The Hezbollah chief explicitly directed his criticism toward the Lebanese government, demanding that state authorities immediately abandon all preparations for an upcoming round of direct bilateral negotiations with Israel. Representatives from Beirut and Jerusalem are currently scheduled to convene in Washington early next month under United States sponsorship to formalize a long-term border settlement following months of intense combat. Qassem characterized the decision to engage in direct diplomatic talks as a humiliating concession and an unnecessary victory for the Israeli administration, urging Lebanese leaders to stick exclusively to indirect mediation channels. He further argued that the current political push to establish an exclusive state monopoly on weapons is not a genuine national security initiative but rather an engineered foreign project designed to systematically target the armed resistance.
The sudden escalation in rhetoric threatens to fracture a fragile regional armistice, occurring just days after Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their existing temporary ceasefire for an additional forty-five days. Despite the technical extension of the truce, localized hostilities have persisted along the southern border corridor, with Hezbollah conducting recurring drone and missile strikes against Israeli military positions in response to alleged airspace violations. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted sharply to the televised address on Monday, issuing a formal statement that accused Hezbollah of intentionally trying to drag the Lebanese populace back into absolute chaos and destruction. As diplomatic teams in Washington continue to fine-tune the parameters of the upcoming summit, Qassem maintained that his fighters will keep their weapons firmly in hand until the Lebanese state proves it is independently capable of executing its sovereign defense duties.
