BEIRUT: Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem has declared that the group will not lay down its weapons until Israel completely withdraws from Lebanese territory.
In a statement on Thursday, Qassem said Hezbollah’s patience should not be interpreted as weakness, describing it instead as part of a deliberate strategic approach. He stressed that there was “no question” of disarming Hezbollah north of the Litani River.
Qassem stated that discussions about disarmament would not take place until Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. He claimed that Israel’s military campaign aimed to eliminate Hezbollah but had failed to achieve its objective.
He also said Lebanese authorities could not afford to alienate a large segment of the country’s population, adding that Hezbollah would support the government if it pursued policies that safeguarded Lebanon’s sovereignty.
The Hezbollah leader further urged Lebanese officials to stop serving what he described as American and Israeli interests. Referring to the reported Iran-US agreement, he claimed it represented a strategic setback for Washington and Israel.
Qassem concluded by saying Iran’s resilience and steadfastness had enabled it to reach the memorandum of understanding, describing the outcome as a result of its strength and determination.
