Hezbollah has no intention to disarm, says movement’s secretary-general

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has stated that the movement has no intention of giving up its military arsenal, Al Jazeera reports.

Qassem warned that any targeting of the movement would lead to chaos and internal unrest. Explaining the reasons for the refusal in a televised address, he said that “Lebanon’s sovereignty cannot exist without resistance.” He criticized the Lebanese government’s plans to disarm Hezbollah, accusing it of following “American and Israeli orders.”

He called on the authorities “not to hand the country over to the enemy Israel, but to focus instead on ending Israeli occupation in Lebanese territories rather than disarming Hezbollah.”

Earlier, the Lebanese government approved a decision to place all weapons under state control and instructed the army to develop and implement a related plan by the end of 2025. Hezbollah has criticized the initiative, saying the decision “fully serves Israel’s interests” and was made “at the direction of the United States.”