Hezbollah Will Not Disarm Until Israel Fully Withdraws from Southern Lebanon – Says Leader Naim Qassem

Hezbollah Will Not Disarm Until Israel Fully Withdraws from Southern Lebanon – Says Leader Naim Qassem

Beirut | July 6, 2025
Senior Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated on Sunday that the group will not give up its weapons unless Israel fully withdraws from southern Lebanon. He also warned that resistance would continue if Israeli airstrikes do not stop.

Speaking via video to thousands gathered in southern Beirut to mark Ashura, the Shiite holy day commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, Qassem said:
“As long as Israel continues its aggression, occupies our borders, and kills our people inside our territory, how can we be asked to lay down our arms? We will never legitimize occupation in Lebanon or anywhere in the region. We reject all forms of normalization with Israel.”

Ashura, observed by Shia Muslims, marks the 680 AD Battle of Karbala in which the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, was martyred after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliph. For the Shia community, the day symbolizes resistance against injustice and tyranny.

This year’s Ashura comes amid lingering tensions following a devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last November. During the war, many of Hezbollah’s senior commanders were killed, including long-time Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, and much of the group’s weapons stockpile was destroyed by Israeli strikes.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to occupy five strategic border points in southern Lebanon and carries out near-daily air raids, which it claims are aimed at preventing Hezbollah’s rearmament. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, 250 people have been killed in these airstrikes since November, with total war casualties exceeding 4,000.

While domestic and international voices have called for Hezbollah’s disarmament, Qassem defended the group’s military arsenal:
“If we didn’t have these weapons, how would we defend ourselves when Israel attacks? Who would stop them when they enter our villages to kill women, children, and young men in their homes? Resistance requires the minimum capability for self-defense.”

Qassem’s remarks come as U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack is preparing to visit Beirut. His visit is expected to include discussions on proposals for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Barrack said:
“Lebanon has a historic opportunity—to leave behind sectarian division and build a true nation, one country, one people, one army.”

He also quoted U.S. President Donald Trump, stating:
“Let’s make Lebanon great again.”