Hezbollah vows to keep arms until Israel withdraws and conditions met

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, reaffirmed the group’s firm refusal to disarm, stating that Israel must first fully withdraw from Lebanon, halt its military strikes, release Lebanese prisoners, and allow the country to begin rebuilding areas devastated during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

According to foreign media, Qassem made the remarks during a televised address, emphasising that only after these conditions are met could discussions begin on a potential “national defence strategy,” which might involve the future of Hezbollah’s arsenal or a possible handover of its weapons to state control.

“We will not abandon the weapons that have brought us honour. We will not give up the weapons that protect us from the enemy,” Qassem declared. “These weapons are our souls, our honour, our land, our dignity, and our children’s future.”

Issuing a pointed warning to the Lebanese government, he accused Washington and Tel Aviv of pressuring Beirut to demand Hezbollah’s disarmament.

“Those who want to take away our weapons want to take away our soul,” Qassem said. “And when that happens, the world will witness our strength.”

He also criticised the Lebanese government, saying, “If this government retains its current form, it cannot be trusted to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

“Israel may occupy,” Qassem added, “but we will resist it to prevent it from settling and achieving its goals. This resistance will continue.”

His remarks come as Lebanon’s cabinet this month instructed the army to draft a plan, by December, aimed at establishing state control over weapons across the country — a move widely seen as a direct challenge to Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, on August 25, Israel indicated it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese armed forces acted to disarm the group.

By Tamilla Hasanova