In a renewed show of defiance to both domestic and international pressure, MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, head of the Baalbek–Hermel parliamentary bloc, declared that Hezbollah’s weapons “will neither be handed over nor dismantled,” reiterating the party’s long-held position that its arsenal is non-negotiable.
According to the Al Akhbar, speaking at a ceremony in Baalbek marking the first anniversary of the death of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hajj Hassan maintained that far from being weakened, the resistance movement had emerged “more determined, resilient, and steadfast” despite the loss of senior figures and militants. “The resistance today demonstrates greater loyalty and stronger bonds with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his legacy,” he affirmed.
The MP dismissed mounting regional and Western calls to disarm Hezbollah, arguing that the real threat lies not in the group’s weapons, but in “Israel’s aggression and America’s hegemonic projects.” Addressing comments by U.S. envoy Tom Barak, Hajj Hassan said Washington had abandoned pretense and laid bare its agenda: “from an illusory peace, to redrawing borders, to explicitly supporting Israel’s expansionist ambitions.”
He accused the United States of seeking to fuel divisions within Lebanon and the wider region, stressing that any weapons supplied by Washington are designed not to confront Israel but to ignite internal strife. “Do not be deceived by America’s rhetoric, nor dragged into its illusions,” he warned, accusing Washington of being fully aligned with Israel’s strategic aims.
Hajj Hassan pointed in particular to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a vision of “Greater Israel,” which he described as a colonial project driven by American patronage. According to him, the real confrontation facing the region is not between its people but against the existential threat posed by Israel’s expansionist ideology and the continuing erosion of Palestinian rights.
He emphasized that Lebanese debates over Hezbollah’s arms miss the real point: “This issue is not the country’s problem. The true problem lies in confronting the Zionist enemy and resisting its ambitions.”
By reiterating Hezbollah’s refusal to compromise on its arsenal, the Baalbek message was clear. In a time of simmering economic crisis and political discord, the party stresses that disarmament is not up for discussion and that any attempt to prioritize it only distracts from what it considers the pressing danger: Israel’s ongoing threats to Lebanon, Palestine, and the wider Arab world.
Photo: BBC News/AFP