We will not submit to Israel: Hezbollah rejects calls to surrender weapons

India Today

4 days ago

Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Qassem on Wednesday rejected international calls for the disarmament of the Lebanese militant group, saying such demands only serve Israeli interests and threaten Lebanon's sovereignty."Those who call for submitting arms practically demand submitting them to Israel We will not submit to Israel," Qassem declared in a televised address marking one year since the assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr by Israeli forces.advertisementQassem's remarks come as the United States heightened pressure on the Lebanese government to formally commit to Hezbollah's disarmament, which Washington views as a critical step toward halting Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
Despite a ceasefire reached in November 2024, Israeli strikes have continued, causing thousands of casualties.PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BEIRUTAccording to news agency Reuters, Washington is urging Beirut to issue a formal cabinet-level commitment to disarm Hezbollah. This, they say, is a prerequisite for the resumption of ceasefire negotiations.Under the existing truce, Hezbollah fighters were supposed to retreat north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border -- leaving the Lebanese Army and United Nations peacekeepers to oversee security in the south.However, the group has not fully complied and has instead shown reluctance to surrender its weapons.In his speech, Qassem accused the US of prioritising Israeli interests over Lebanon's sovereignty."Those who call for disarmament on a domestic, global or Arab level serve the Israeli project," he said. "Israel will not be able to defeat us, and it will not be able to take Lebanon hostage."Qassem also criticised US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who has been actively mediating the ceasefire process. "The United States wants to remove our missiles and drones because they scare Israel," he added.ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL A PRECONDITIONOne of Hezbollah's key conditions for even considering disarmament is the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from several posts in southern Lebanon — positions Israel continues to hold despite the ceasefire."The imminent danger is the Israeli aggression this aggression must stop," Qassem said. "All political discourse in the country must be directed towards stopping the aggression, not towards handing over weapons to Israel."He insisted that the ceasefire agreement pertains strictly to areas south of the Litani River and that Hezbollah's weapons remain a purely internal matter.A Lebanese official, speaking anonymously to the news agency AFP, confirmed that Beirut is under significant international pressure to address Hezbollah's status in an upcoming cabinet meeting.CABINET MEETING PLANNED TO DISCUSS ARMS MONOPOLYadvertisementLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has called for a cabinet session next week to deliberate over "the extension of state sovereignty over all its territories exclusively by its own forces."According to local media, the meeting will also address aspects of Ambassador Barrack's proposal, which envisions a phased disarmament of Hezbollah over a four-month period in exchange for a complete halt to Israeli airstrikes and military withdrawal.While Hezbollah remains defiant, insisting that discussions on its weapons are contingent on Israel first ceasing its attacks and pulling out of the remaining Lebanese territory."Weapons are an internal Lebanese affair that has nothing to do with the Israeli enemy," Qassem reiterated.- EndsWith inputs from Agencies Must Watch