Naim Qassem, the leader of Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror army, on Sunday rejected the possibility of disarmament due to what he described as “Israeli threats,” warning of a “confrontation” in response.
“Now they’re saying, ‘We either kill you or you surrender.’ This is something silly for us,” Qassem stated in televised remarks on the occasion of Ashura, the Shi’ite period of mourning, according to a translation by Iran’s Press TV propaganda outlet.
“We are committed to our rights, and if required to attain our rights, it is required that we are martyred or achieve victory, we are ready for either of the two good outcomes. But there is no room for surrender,” he said.
“I declare, on behalf of Hezbollah, that we are ready for either of the two choices before us,” the top Lebanese terrorist leader continued. “For peace, the building of a [Lebanese] state and cooperation in favor of development and stability, as well as for confrontation and combat.”
Hezbollah will only discuss “national security and defense strategy” after the Israel Defense Forces fully withdraws from Lebanon, stops “aggression,” releases all terrorists taken prisoner during last year’s fighting and allows for the rebuilding of Southern Lebanon, he said.
In April, Hezbollah declared its readiness to conduct talks with Beirut on a “national defense strategy” following the fighting with Israel, with experts warning that the terror group would leverage its remaining power to integrate its terrorists into the Lebanese state apparatus.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy who delivered U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s roadmap for Hezbollah disarmament, is due back in Beirut on Monday, where he is expected to receive the Lebanese government’s unified response.
Barrack said on social media Saturday that Lebanon now has a historic opportunity to move beyond sectarian divisions and realize its potential as “one country, one people, one army.”
Lebanon’s L’Orient Today reported on Sunday afternoon that Hezbollah has delayed its response to government representatives, as well as to its own ally in parliament, Speaker Nabih Berri. Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Berri have declared their commitment to bringing all arms under state control.
On Nov. 26, 2024, Jerusalem and Beirut signed a ceasefire deal aimed at ending more than a year of cross-border clashes between the IDF and Hezbollah. The Iranian-backed group began attacking the Jewish state in support of Hamas following the terror group’s attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since the truce, Jerusalem has carried out frequent operations aimed at preventing Hezbollah from reestablishing its capabilities in Southern Lebanon in violation of the truce understandings with Beirut.