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Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Hezbollah threatens to resume firing missiles at Israel if it intensifies operations in Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Tuesday that if Israel intensifies its military operations against his group, the Iran-backed armed faction will resume firing missiles toward Israel. Naim Kassem's comments came as Lebanon's Cabinet was meeting to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament. Beirut is under U.S. pressure to disarm the group that recently fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders dead. Since the war ended in November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities. Israel's military has said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war. Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one attack on a disputed area along the border. In a televised speech Tuesday, Kassem said Hezbollah rejects any timetable to hand over its weapons. 'Israel's interest is not to widen the aggression because if they expand, the resistance will defend, the army will defend and the people will defend,' Kassem said. 'This defense will lead to the fall of missiles inside Israel.' Since the war ended, Hezbollah has withdrawn most of its fighters and weapons from the area along the border with Israel south of the Litani river. Last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons, angering the group's leadership. The ceasefire agreement left vague how Hezbollah's weapons and military facilities north of the Litani river should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities starting with the area south of the river. Hezbollah maintains the deal only covers the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the U.S. say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon. Kassem said Hezbollah rejects a government vote over its weapons, saying such a decision should be unanimously backed by all Lebanese. 'No one can deprive Lebanon of its force to protect its sovereignty,' Kassem said. Hezbollah's weapons are a divisive issue among Lebanese, with some groups calling for its disarmament. The Israel-Hezbollah war started a day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack against Israel from Gaza. It left more than 4,000 people dead and caused damage worth $11 billion.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hezbollah chief rejects disarmament as pressure on Lebanon grows
BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that calls for the Iran-aligned militant group's disarmament served only Israel, as the United States ramps up pressure for steps to remove its arsenal. "Those who call for submitting arms practically demand submitting them to Israel ... We will not submit to Israel," Qassem said in a televised address. Hezbollah emerged badly damaged from a war with Israel last year that eliminated most of the group's leadership, killed thousands of its fighters and left tens of thousands of its supporters displaced from their destroyed homes. The U.S. is now pushing Lebanon to issue a formal cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before talks can resume on a halt to Israeli military operations in the country, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Hezbollah has publicly refused to hand over its arsenal in full, but has privately weighed scaling it back. "Those who call for disarmament on a domestic, global or Arab level serve the Israeli project," Qassem said. He also said the U.S. was demanding a removal of Hezbollah's missiles and drones because they "scare" Israel, accusing U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack of calling for disarmament for the sake of Israel and not Lebanon's own security. "Israel will not be able to defeat us and it will not be able to take Lebanon hostage," he added. In early July, Barrack met Lebanese officials in Beirut to discuss the disarmament proposal. It would see Hezbollah fully disarmed within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon and a halt to Israeli air strikes. Hezbollah has been under pressure in recent months both within Lebanon and from Washington to completely relinquish its weaponry. Solve the daily Crossword
LBCI
21-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Reports confirm assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's aide, known as 'Abou Ali,' in Tehran
0min Reports confirm assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's aide, known as 'Abou Ali,' in Tehran Reports confirmed the assassination of "Abou Ali," the close aide to former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, in Tehran.
