Hezbollah leader says movement will not surrender and is ready to defend Lebanese land

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem said on Sunday that Lebanon is “in the eye of the storm” because of the United States while Israel is “the main source of instability and hardship” facing the country.

In a speech, Qassem said Washington has fostered corruption in Lebanon, protected political leaders and worked since 2019 to undermine the economy. He said the United States is seeking to entrench its influence and now controls key sectors of the country.

Qassem said Lebanon stands at a historic crossroads, presenting two choices: either to give the United States and Israel what they want — control and the beginning of Lebanon’s fragmentation — or to revive the country and restore its sovereignty through the expulsion of Israel.

He called for postponing demands for a monopoly on weapons, saying such calls are illogical while Israeli aggression continues. He described disarmament as an Israeli-American project, even if it is currently framed as a debate over state control of weapons.

Qassem said the aim of Washington and Tel Aviv is to end the resistance in Lebanon through disarmament, arguing that raising the issue of weapons during ongoing Israeli attacks serves Israel’s interests.

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He said disarmament is part of a broader plan to create discord between the resistance and the Lebanese public, maintain Israel’s occupation of five points along the border, and allow continued killing without accountability. He added that the issue is also intended to weaken Lebanon’s military capabilities, undermine a major political force, and sow division with the Amal Movement.

Qassem said more than a year has passed since the agreement, during which the Lebanese side made concessions and compromises, while Israel “never tires and never stops”. He accused the Lebanese government of making unilateral concessions while Israel has offered nothing in return.

He said the resistance and the Lebanese state have adhered to the agreement’s terms, while Israel has continued its security violations inside Lebanon. He questioned the state’s response to the recent abduction of officer Ahmad Shukr in the Zahle area.

Qassem said neither the resistance nor the state is required to take further steps before Israel implements the agreement. “Do not ask anything of us anymore,” he said, adding that the state is not required to act as a policeman.

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