Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed on Monday his group’s refusal to disarm, ahead of planned discussions between Lebanese officials and visiting US envoys. The comments came after Lebanon’s government announced plans to dismantle the group’s arsenal.

 

"We will not give up the weapons that protect us from attack," Qassem said in a televised address. "These weapons are our soul, our honour, our land, our dignity, our children's future. Whoever wants to take away these weapons wants to take away our souls."

 

The Lebanese government recently tasked its army with drafting a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, citing US pressure and concerns over potential escalation from 'Israel'. Hezbollah is the only faction in Lebanon that retained its weapons following the 1975-1990 civil war, maintaining them as a “resistance” force against 'Israel', and has consistently rejected calls to disarm.

 

Qassem criticized the government’s decision, claiming it was made under “US-Israeli dictates” and accusing Washington of seeking to “wreck Lebanon.”

 

US envoys Thomas Barrack and Morgan Ortagus are scheduled to meet with Lebanese officials on Tuesday to discuss the plan, which reportedly includes a timeline for Hezbollah’s disarmament and 'Israeli' troop withdrawals from contested areas following last year’s conflict.

 

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for Lebanon’s disarmament efforts on Monday, offering a “phased” withdrawal of troops if the country follows through with its plan.

 

Qassem dismissed Barrack’s earlier suggestion of a “step-by-step approach”, stating, “There is no step for step. Let them implement the (ceasefire) agreement… then after that we will discuss the defence strategy.”

 

Hezbollah has emphasized that before any negotiations on its weapons, 'Israel' must withdraw from Lebanese territory, cease ongoing attacks, release captured Lebanese prisoners, and allow reconstruction to begin.