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Hezbollah says it will not give up weapons despite US proposal
Hezbollah says it will not give up weapons despite US proposal

Al Jazeera

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • Al Jazeera

Hezbollah says it will not give up weapons despite US proposal

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem appeared to dismiss a proposal that his group disarm, as presented by the United States to Lebanon's leadership last month. Qassem argued on Friday that the Israeli army would expand in Lebanon if there was no 'resistance' in the country. 'We will not surrender or give up to Israel; Israel will not take our weapons away from us,' he said in a video message. Qassem's comments dealt a potential blow to US diplomat Thomas Barrack's efforts last month to secure a deal between Lebanon and Israel that would involve disarmament of the Lebanese armed group. Barrack, Washington's ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, had declared he was 'unbelievably satisfied' earlier this month after receiving a response to his proposals from the Lebanese authorities, adding that a 'go-forward plan' was in the works. Lebanese leaders who took office after more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have promised a state monopoly on bearing arms, while demanding Israel adhere to a ceasefire with the group reached last November. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in an interview with Al Jadeed TV on Friday that fear of Israeli escalation was warranted, but that the US proposal was an 'opportunity' that could lead to Israel's withdrawal. Salam acknowledged Hezbollah's weapons played a leading role in liberating South Lebanon from Israel in 2000, but insisted that they must now be under the command of the Lebanese state. Qassem, however, said Lebanon is facing an existential danger that should be prioritised over the issue of giving the state monopoly over using weapons. 'After we address that danger, we are ready to discuss a defence strategy or a national security strategy,' he said. Hezbollah claims the Lebanese armed forces have failed to confront Israeli abuses since Israel's inception in 1948. 'Ready for a defensive confrontation' Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani River, some 30km (18 miles) from the Israeli frontier. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five areas that it deemed strategic and has breached the ceasefire on a near-daily basis with deadly strikes. Israel dealt Hezbollah significant blows in last year's war, assassinating its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, along with other commanders and destroying much of its arsenal. Qassem appeared to acknowledge that Hezbollah was not in a position to hit back or attack Israeli troops occupying parts of South Lebanon. But he said the group would not disarm under the threat of a renewed all-out war. 'We are proceeding, prepared and ready for a defensive confrontation,' the Hezbollah chief said.

French Ambassador, Lebanese FM discuss Syria and UNIFIL mandate
French Ambassador, Lebanese FM discuss Syria and UNIFIL mandate

LBCI

time5 days ago

  • Politics
  • LBCI

French Ambassador, Lebanese FM discuss Syria and UNIFIL mandate

Lebanon's Foreign Minister, Youssef Rajji, met with French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, to discuss the latest developments in Syria and the need to shield Lebanon from any potential fallout. Both sides emphasized the urgency of resolving outstanding issues between Lebanon and Syria, underscoring the importance of coordinated diplomacy during a period of regional volatility. Ambassador Magro briefed Minister Rajji on ongoing diplomatic efforts led by France to secure the renewal of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate remains vital to stability along the border.

South Lebanon: One martyr, five injuries in Israeli airstrike
South Lebanon: One martyr, five injuries in Israeli airstrike

Al Mayadeen

time15-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Al Mayadeen

South Lebanon: One martyr, five injuries in Israeli airstrike

One Lebanese citizen was killed, and five others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on the village of Nmairiyeh in South Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Friday. An Israeli drone reportedly struck a vehicle moving through the road between Namiriyeh and al-Sharqiya in the south of Lebanon with more than one missile, Al Mayadeen's correspondent noted. فيديو يُظهر لحظة الاعتداء الإسرائيلي الذي استهدف سيارة بصاروخين على طريق بلدتي #النميرية – #الشرقية.#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان Another drone strike targeted a moving vehicle in the southern Lebanese village of Yater as well. Earlier today, our correspondent in South Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on a Pick-up vehicle before it detonated in the border village of Kfar Kila, while another drone dropped a bomb on the Al-Dhahira village. Al Mayadeen's correspondent also revealed that an Israeli infantry force invaded the southern border and detonated a single room built 800 meters into Lebanese territory. On Thursday, one person was martyred and two others were wounded after an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle in the town of al-Mansouri, in the Tyre District, South Lebanon, on Thursday, according to a statement by the country's Ministry of Health. An Israeli drone also struck commercial shops in Yuhmur al-Shaqif, a southern town in Lebanon's Nabatieh District, firing two missiles at the area. This comes as Israeli occupation forces continue to violate the ceasefire, persisting in their attacks by targeting villages and towns in South Lebanon and the Bekaa region, as well as the Southern Suburb of Beirut, while still occupying five strategic points in the south. Read more: 10 wounded, including a child, in Israeli airstrikes on south Lebanon

One killed in Israeli strike on motorcycle in Mansouri, South Lebanon
One killed in Israeli strike on motorcycle in Mansouri, South Lebanon

Al Mayadeen

time15-07-2025

  • Al Mayadeen

One killed in Israeli strike on motorcycle in Mansouri, South Lebanon

One person was martyred and two others were wounded after an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle in the town of al-Mansouri, in the Tyre District, South Lebanon, on Thursday, according to a statement by the country's Ministry of Health. Earlier today, an Israeli drone struck commercial shops in Yuhmur al-Shaqif, a southern town in Lebanon's Nabatieh District, firing two missiles at the area. This comes as Israeli occupation forces continue to violate the ceasefire, persisting in their attacks by targeting villages and towns in South Lebanon and the Bekaa region, as well as the Southern Suburb of Beirut, while still occupying five strategic points in the south. The Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed on July 8 that in just two days, six people were martyred and more than a dozen others were injured as Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks targeted multiple areas across southern and northern Lebanon, marking another escalation in the ongoing hostilities. According to the Ministry's statement, one person was martyred on Tuesday when an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the southern town of Babliyeh, located in the Saida district. Meanwhile, an Israeli drone attack on a vehicle in the town of al-Ayrouniyeh near Tripoli in northern Lebanon also on Tuesday left three individuals martyred and 13 others wounded, marking a significant geographic expansion of Israeli aggression beyond its usual southern targets as the aggression continues to escalate. Adding to the toll, Israeli air raids on July 7 struck the southern towns of Deir Kifa and Beit Lif on Monday, killing two more people as the attacks continued to claim lives across multiple regions.

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