In a firm rebuke of disarmament efforts, Sheikh Naim Qassem positioned Hezbollah’s resistance as essential to Lebanon’s sovereignty and defense against Israeli aggression.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reaffirmed in a televised speech on Friday the centrality of armed resistance in response to Israeli aggression and expansion, rejecting any discussion of disarmament as long as occupation continues.
“The resistance is a reaction to the occupation,” Sheikh Qassem said, “especially in the event that the Lebanese state is unable to protect the land and its citizens on its own.”
He warned of the Israeli regime’s broader ambitions, declaring, “Israel is expansionist—it is not satisfied with occupied Palestine but also wants to take Lebanon.”
Resistance Achievements
Emphasizing the role of resistance in Lebanon’s recent history, Sheikh Qassem said, “The distinction of the resistance in Lebanon is that it has achieved great and influential accomplishments over the past 40 years.”
He attributed the current ceasefire to the resilience of the resistance. “The ceasefire agreement is the result of the steadfastness of the resistance,” he stated. “Without this steadfastness, there would be no agreement, and Israel would have continued its aggression.”
Sheikh Qassem added, “The entire world today acknowledges that Hezbollah and the Lebanese state adhered to the agreement, while Israel did not.”
Rejection of Disarmament Calls
Addressing both local and international demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament, Sheikh Qassem warned, “Israel’s talk about disarming the resistance is aimed at weakening Lebanon and occupying it as part of its expansionist project.”
“There is one particular party and a few discordant voices in Lebanon who focus solely on the issue of the Resistance’s weapons,” he said. “But the Resistance’s weapons are exclusively tied to confronting the Israeli enemy.”
“The primary issue in Lebanon is not the Resistance’s weapons but the expulsion of the Israeli occupation,” he asserted.
Steadfastness, Unity, and Options
Sheikh Qassem stressed that the Resistance will endure. “As long as the resistance exists—and that it will—alongside the national army, the Lebanese people, and its popular base, Israel cannot achieve its objectives.”
He dismissed perceptions of weakness. “Anyone who thinks we are weak is delusional.”
He added, “We confront the occupation with the strength of our position, national unity, the building of the army, and the preparedness of the resistance. We have not and will not surrender.”
Diplomacy and the Cost of Resistance
The Hezbollah leader emphasized the limits of diplomacy. “The opportunity we are giving to diplomacy is not open-ended,” he said. “We have options, we fear nothing, and if you persist, you will see at the right time what we decide.”
He urged the public to focus on the outcomes of resistance rather than its sacrifices. “One should not say to the resistance, ‘You have paid a high price, look at the losses,’ but rather ask how it was able to prevent Israel from achieving its goals.”
He concluded, “We are patiently steadfast with wisdom because we know there is a balance in losses and gains, but we do not build on that; we build on our stance, and our stance is resistance.”
Resistance Arms Serve to Defend Homeland
Sheikh Qassem firmly rejected all calls to disarm the Resistance, asserting that Hezbollah’s weapons are essential to Lebanon’s sovereignty and defense. “We are not weak; we are people of confrontation, dignity, and pride—for the land and the people,” he said.
“We will not allow anyone to disarm Hezbollah or the Resistance; this idea must be entirely discarded,” Sheikh Qassem declared.
He warned that “those calling for the disarmament of the Resistance by force are offering a free service to the Israeli enemy and are aiming to sow discord between the Resistance and the army. That discord will not happen.”
“These weapons are the backbone of the Resistance. They liberated our country and protected its sovereignty,” Qassem stated. “We will confront anyone who attacks the Resistance or seeks to disarm us, and we advise no one to play this game with us.”
He added, “Those who have the most honorable people fear no one in the world, and those who have the most honorable people stand firm while cowards flee.”
Lebanon’s Defensive Strategy
On the ceasefire agreement, he clarified, “It applies exclusively to the area south of the Litani River, and this is stated five times in the agreement.”
Sheikh Qassem said that further discussions could only take place after Israeli compliance: “Let’s first see Israel adhere to the agreement, then we can talk.” He added, “Once Israel fulfills its obligations, Lebanon will begin discussing the other provisions of Resolution 1701.”
He outlined a framework for future dialogue: “Three fundamental principles must govern any dialogue: first, the protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty, the liberation of its land, and the cessation of all forms of aggression against it.” He added, “The second principle in any dialogue is to leverage the strength of the Resistance and its weapons in any defensive strategy.”
The third, he said, is to separate reconstruction from the issue of disarmament.
He confirmed an “exchange of messages with the President of the Republic regarding the implementation of the agreement south of the Litani,” noting that the messages were “positive and will remain so.”
“When we are invited to dialogue, we will be ready,” he said, “but not under the pressure of occupation.”
Regarding the strategy itself, he emphasized, “We will not discuss the details in the media, nor will we preempt the principles that will be agreed upon once we sit at the dialogue table.”
Warning to US
Sheikh Qassem directly tied Israeli obligations to any potential path forward. “Hezbollah has fulfilled its responsibilities; let Israel fulfill its own, and let the Lebanese state fulfill its own.”
He made clear that any transition to a next phase must begin with a complete cessation of hostilities. “Moving to the second phase requires implementing the first phase, which includes the withdrawal of Israel, an end to its aggression, and the actual start of reconstruction.”
Sheikh Qassem rejected any conditional approach to rebuilding. “They say they are linking reconstruction to disarmament; we say we are the ones linking weapons to reconstruction,” he stated.
He concluded with a warning to Washington: “Lebanon cannot move forward under US guardianship, and the US must respect the Lebanese people’s will for independence and non-interference in its affairs.”
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
Lebanon ” has the right to defend itself ” Especially since my shady US government would definitely attack them without provocation. They would do that for
” Israel ” , who would also attack without provocation. Trump, and his entire administration are just as bad as the terrorist ZioNazis in Wasrael. The ZioNazis are just waiting for the thumb’s up from our collection of serial-killers in Congress. We The People are being overshadowed by our government and their blatant overreach. This has to stop.