Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem: ‘We will not give up our weapons’

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed on Monday the group’s commitment to maintaining its weapons arsenal, saying the movement has acted “on behalf of the state” in defending Lebanon for more than four decades.

Speaking at a “Martyr’s Day” ceremony held under the slogan “When We Are Martyred, We Triumph,” Qassem said, “The army’s presence in the south is a victory for us, and the resistance has been acting on behalf of the state for 42 years.”

He asserted that Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons, adding that “Israel has failed to drag the resistance into an exchange of fire through its violations of the ceasefire agreement.”

Qassem accused Israel of seeking to “control Lebanon’s future,” saying Tel Aviv “does not want to withdraw from occupied territory and wants Lebanon to serve as a backyard for the expansion of settlements as part of the project of Greater Israel.”

“We will not surrender, and we will not leave the future of our generations to the arrogant, the criminals, the meddlers, and the agents,” he declared.

Hezbollah continues to wield significant influence in Lebanon’s political and military landscape, maintaining an independent armed wing despite UN resolutions calling for its disarmament. The group argues its weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression.