Hezbollah will not disarm until Israeli aggression ends — Gen. Naim Qassem

Hezbollah will not disarm until Israeli aggression ends — Gen. Naim Qassem
[Lebanon, July 5, 2025] — General Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Lebanon’s Islamic resistance group Hezbollah, made it unequivocally clear in a televised address on Friday that:

"We will not surrender our weapons until Israeli aggression ends."

Qassem calls disarmament demand ‘unreasonable’

In his speech broadcast on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, Qassem strongly criticized calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament:

“Those demanding that we give up our weapons should first demand an end to Israeli aggression. It is unjust to blame the resistance while ignoring the actions of the occupiers.”

He added:

“Those who accept surrender will suffer the consequences themselves — but Hezbollah will never surrender.”

'No permission needed to defend the nation'

General Qassem emphasized:

“We do not need external permission to defend our nation. When a viable and acceptable national defense plan is proposed, we will be ready to discuss it.”

U.S. disarmament proposal and Lebanon’s response

On June 19, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack visited Beirut and presented a draft proposal for Hezbollah’s disarmament to Lebanese officials.

According to a Lebanese official, the proposal includes three core conditions:

1. Only the Lebanese state will have the right to bear arms;

2. Implementation of economic and financial reforms;

3. Enhanced customs enforcement and surveillance to control borders and prevent smuggling.

The Lebanese government is currently preparing its official response to the U.S. proposal.

Ceasefire violations and Hezbollah’s outrage

Following the end of the Israel-Lebanon war in November 2024, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed, under which Israel was to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, 2025. This deadline was later extended to February 18, but Israel continues to maintain troops in five border outposts.

Lebanese authorities accuse Israel of over 3,000 ceasefire violations, resulting in:

• 225 deaths,

• 500 injuries.

Israel has claimed that its operations only target Hezbollah positions, but Lebanon insists that the ongoing military actions violate the ceasefire directly.

Hezbollah’s stance remains firm

Hezbollah has made its position clear:

It will continue its resistance until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory and ends its aggression.

Meanwhile, U.S. diplomatic pressure is intensifying to push for Hezbollah’s disarmament — increasing the risk of renewed tensions in an already volatile region.