Naim Qassem, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, rejected demands for Hezbollah’s disarmament during a speech marking the anniversary of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, saying such a move would mean the “destruction of Lebanon.”
In a video address delivered to Hezbollah supporters on the occasion of “Resistance and Liberation Day,” he said: “There is no such thing as a monopoly on weapons or the disarmament of Hezbollah.” Qassem claimed that Hezbollah is a key part of Lebanon’s defense capabilities, and that taking away the group’s weapons would destroy the resilience of the Lebanese people and their ability to resist.
The Hezbollah chief also claimed that the group’s attacks on Israel had confused Israeli forces. He further expressed skepticism about the Islamic Republic’s ongoing negotiations with the United States, saying: “Washington is not an honest broker; it designs its policies entirely around the support of Israel.”
