Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday urged Lebanon’s government to halt efforts to place all weapons under state control, as army commanders briefed the cabinet on the next phase of a national disarmament plan.
In a televised address marking the assassinations of three senior Hezbollah figures by Israel, Qassem accused the government of making “continuous concessions” to Tel Aviv, despite ongoing Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory following a ceasefire agreed in November 2024.
“If you want to surrender, amend the constitution, because the constitution’s essence is confrontation and defence for the sake of liberation,” Qassem said. He argued that the government’s approach had emboldened Israel and made it complicit in advancing “the goals of the Israeli enemy” by pursuing Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Qassem, who assumed leadership of the Iran-backed group in October 2024 after the killing of longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah, maintained that the Lebanese state bears responsibility for resisting Israeli attacks, particularly as it endorsed the 2024 truce. Israel has continued near-daily strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
While stressing that Hezbollah does not seek a new war, Qassem warned that continued attacks could trigger further escalation. “As for when, how, and what developments will change this reality, we will let the facts tell the story,” he said, noting that the group has so far refrained from responding militarily “out of concern for our society and our nation at this stage.”
His remarks coincided with a cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace, where army chiefs outlined plans for the second phase of a strategy to monopolise arms under state authority. The first phase, completed in January, involved removing weapons from south of the Litani River.
Under the proposed second phase, the Lebanese army would extend control between the Litani and Awali Rivers. Hezbollah has so far refused to surrender weapons outside the initial zone.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said ahead of the meeting that the government was prepared to “expand its role” within the ceasefire oversight committee, particularly regarding disarmament.
Before its latest war with Israel, Hezbollah was regarded as one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors, though the conflict significantly reduced its arsenal and eliminated several top leaders.
Photo: The New Arab