Hezbollah says it will not give up weapons despite US proposal

Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, made an apparent refutation of a proposal the United States had made to the leadership of Lebanon last month.

Qassem argued on Friday that if there was no “resistance” in the nation, the Israeli army would expand there.

In a video message, he declared, “We will not give up to Israel, and Israel will not give our weapons to us.”

Qassem’s comments could have harmed US diplomat Thomas Barrack’s efforts to reach a Lebanon-Lebanese peace agreement last month.

After receiving a response to his proposals from the Lebanese authorities earlier this month, Barrack, Washington’s ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, stated that a “go-forward plan” was in the works. He continued to express that he was “unbelievably satisfied.”

After more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanese leaders, who are now in power, have promised a state-monopoly on supplying weapons and have pressed Israel to abide by a ceasefire reached in November.

Nawaf Salam, the leader of Lebanon, told Al Jadeed TV on Friday that while fear of an Israeli uprising was justified, the US proposal was an “opportunity” that could lead to Israel’s withdrawal.

Hezbollah’s weapons must now be under the Lebanese state’s control, Salam reaffirmed that they played a significant role in the 2000 liberation of South Lebanon from Israel.

Qassem, however, suggested that the issue of granting the state a right to use weapons should be prioritized over the issue of putting an existential risk on Lebanon.

We are prepared to talk about a defense strategy or national security strategy after we address that threat, he said.

Since Israel’s founding in 1948, Hezbollah claims that the Lebanese armed forces have failed to stop Israeli crimes against humanity.

“Ready for a defensive confrontation,” you say.

Hezbollah was ordered to withdraw its fighters from the Israeli-occupied territory under the terms of the ceasefire.

Israel planned to leave Lebanon, but it has continued to use them in five strategic areas and has launched deadly attacks against the ceasefire almost daily.

In the previous year’s conflict, Israel dealt Hezbollah a significant blow by assassinating its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, as well as other commanders, and destroying much of its arsenal.

Qassem gave the impression that Hezbollah was unable to rebel against or repel Israeli forces occupying South Lebanon.

He claimed, however, that the group would continue to fight if a full-fledged war were to arise.