Israeli airstrikes pound southern Lebanon
The latest escalation comes just one day after Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, publicly rejected Israeli and U.S. demands to disarm the group, declaring Hezbollah's weapons a source of national strength and a strictly internal Lebanese matter.
Israel carried out multiple airstrikes on eastern and southern Lebanon, including three strikes in Brital, one each in Shaara and the Naasriyeh highlands of the Bekaa, as well as eight strikes targeting Aishiyah, Mahmoudiyah, and Jarmaq in the south. pic.twitter.com/ET3A7EH8JT — The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) July 31, 2025
In a televised address marking the first anniversary of the assassinations of Hezbollah Commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Qassem firmly stated: 'Weapons are not part of any deal with the Israeli enemy. They are for resisting Israel, not for domestic conflict, and they represent a source of strength for Lebanon.'
He warned that calls for Hezbollah's disarmament serve only Israeli interests. 'We will not hand over our weapons to Israel. Those calling for this are asking us to disarm for Israel's benefit,' he said, criticizing both Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and U.S. officials who have demanded that Hezbollah relinquish its missiles and drones.
assem also emphasized that the real threat to Lebanon lies in ongoing Israeli military aggression: 'The priority is not disarmament—it is reconstruction and ending the aggression. Any call to surrender our weapons while under attack is a call to disarm Lebanon in front of its enemy.'
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, Israeli air raids on Lebanese territory have intensified, with hundreds of violations reported. These strikes have resulted in the deaths of dozens of Lebanese civilians under the pretext of 'security operations.' Also Read U.S. slaps sanctions on Palestinian leaders for seeking justice
On the political front, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the cabinet would reconvene to discuss expanding state sovereignty across all Lebanese territory 'through its own forces' — a veiled reference to Hezbollah's armed presence. The discussion echoes earlier debates held in April and signals growing internal pressure to resolve the question of Hezbollah's weapons.
Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reported that the United States has threatened to blacklist Lebanon's banking sector and block vital imports of oil and flour unless Hezbollah agrees to disarm, a move seen by many in Beirut as collective punishment and foreign interference.
The Israeli strikes, paired with intensifying international pressure, signal a dangerous new chapter in Lebanon's already fragile security landscape, as Hezbollah stands firm in its defiance and vows to resist disarmament at all costs.
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