SAEDNEWS: Hezbollah’s deputy leader has categorically rejected a U.S.-backed proposal for the group to disarm, asserting that Israel poses an ongoing existential threat to Lebanon—a move that casts doubt on American diplomatic efforts to broker a lasting peace.
According to Saed News, Hezbollah deputy secretary-general Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday dismissed a recent U.S. proposal calling for the disarmament of the Lebanese group, declaring that “Israel will not take our weapons away from us.” The remarks, delivered via video, strike a defiant tone in response to a diplomatic initiative led by U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack aimed at charting a path to a durable peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
Qassem warned that without a viable resistance force, Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory would expand unchecked. “We are proceeding, prepared and ready for a defensive confrontation,” he said, framing Hezbollah’s arsenal as a national security necessity rather than a political bargaining chip.
The comments come as Lebanon’s newly formed government seeks to reclaim a state monopoly on arms, a goal long frustrated by Hezbollah’s paramilitary dominance. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, speaking to Al Jadeed TV, acknowledged the group’s historic role in resisting Israeli occupation but argued that national defense must now fall under state command. He described the U.S. proposal as “an opportunity” that could facilitate Israeli withdrawal—if met with mutual commitments.
Under the terms of a ceasefire reached last November, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, while Israel pledged to vacate several contested border zones. Yet violations have persisted, with Israeli strikes continuing and Hezbollah maintaining positions in the south.
Barrack, Washington’s ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, previously expressed optimism that a “go-forward plan” was gaining traction. Qassem’s rejection, however, threatens to derail the initiative and underscores the enduring gap between U.S. diplomacy and the reality on the ground in Lebanon, where many view Hezbollah as both a resistance force and a political necessity amid mounting regional volatility.
