Hezbollah chief states willingness for peace but will keep arms
(MENAFN) Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared on Sunday that the group is willing to pursue peace but will not disarm while Israel continues its military presence and operations in southern Lebanon.
In a televised speech, Qassem firmly rejected disarmament, stating, “We cannot be asked to soften our stance or lay down arms while (Israeli) aggression continues. The ceasefire agreement was supposed to halt Israeli attacks, but the opposite has occurred with full US support.”
His comments come as Lebanese officials continue to stress the importance of placing all arms under state authority. President Joseph Aoun previously noted that any move to disarm Hezbollah would require the right political environment and national dialogue.
Qassem outlined conditions for progress, including an end to Israeli airstrikes, withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the return of prisoners, and the start of reconstruction. He said these steps are necessary before advancing toward implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a permanent ceasefire and a demilitarized buffer zone.
Pressure has grown from the international community, particularly the US, for Lebanon to dissolve Hezbollah’s military arm. Yet during a recent meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Lebanon’s president emphasized that Israeli occupation continues to undermine the government’s ability to exert full control over national defense.
On Friday, a Hezbollah march in Beirut’s Zoqaq al-Blat neighborhood featured armed participants chanting in honor of former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel last September.
Tensions remain high following Israel’s large-scale military operation launched on October 8, 2023, which intensified into full war by late September 2024. The fighting has left over 4,000 dead, more than 17,000 wounded, and displaced nearly 1.4 million people, according to official figures.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon have continued, with Tel Aviv claiming to target Hezbollah's operations near the border.
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