Hezbollah will not relinquish its weapons as long as Israeli soldiers maintain a presence in southern Lebanon, the head of the armed group, Naim Qassem, has declared. He made these remarks in a video message addressed to his supporters.
Dismissing any notion of succumbing to pressure, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated in a televised video address to his supporters on Friday that his forces would not lay down their arms while Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon. He argued that abandoning their weapons while their homeland is occupied by the enemy would be considered surrender, not negotiation.
"We will not allow any cracks in our defense system," he asserted. "These weapons are the backbone of our resistance. It is these weapons that have given our people life and freedom, and protected the sovereignty of our homeland."
Qassem also warned that Hezbollah would not hesitate to retaliate against any attempts to forcibly disarm them.
"Those who attack us to disarm us will be given a fitting response in their own language, regardless of who they are – Israel, the United States, or any of their allies," he stated.
The Hezbollah leader further commented that while his group had strictly adhered to the ceasefire agreement reached in November, Israel had repeatedly violated it. He pointed out that despite the agreement specifically stipulating the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, Netanyahu's soldiers continue to move around there defiantly.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the French news agency AFP, citing confidential sources, reported that Hezbollah had handed over 190 out of its 265 military positions near the Litani River in the south to the Lebanese military.
