Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has reiterated that the armed Lebanese group will not lay down its weapons under Israeli fire, instead stating that the strategy should not be a timeline to disarm, and that resistance to Israel must be discussed in national consensus.
In a televised speech from a secure location on Tuesday, Qassem said, “The resistance is fine, strong and ready to fight for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence … Hezbollah made heavy sacrifices to defend Lebanon against the Israeli aggression.”
Qassem also warned missiles would rain down on Israel if it resumed a broad war on the country, adding Hezbollah, Lebanon’s army and Lebanon’s people would defend themselves. “All the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour,” he said.
Later Tuesday, after a six-hour cabinet meeting chaired by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, it was declared that the army will be tasked with bringing all arms under state control by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed after the meeting “the state’s duty to monopolise the possession of weapons”, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Qassem was speaking after Hezbollah supporters gathered in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Monday night to protest against the group’s proposed disarmament ahead of a government cabinet meeting on the issue.
The demonstrations come amid pressure by the United States on Lebanon to get Hezbollah to lay down its arms as Israel carries out near-daily violations of the November truce it signed with Hezbollah to end the war.
Hezbollah emerged weakened from war with Israel last year that saw most of the group’s senior leaders assassinated by Israel, killed thousands of its fighters and Lebanese civilians, and left tens of thousands from the Shia and other communities displaced from their destroyed homes.
In recent months, the US and Lebanon have been holding talks on a roadmap for disarmament. Lebanon’s new leadership has pledged to extend its authority across all its territory, but has so far avoided acting against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah supporters protested because they believe disarmament will have implications for their political standing and security, said Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr.
“Hezbollah has made its position clear: it will not disarm because to do so would serve Israel’s interests, not Lebanon’s sovereignty,” said Khodr, reporting from Beirut.
Qassem has told the country’s leadership that the group feels blackmailed – that if they don’t disarm, they will not be given funds for reconstruction, she reported.
Ahead of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Hezbollah, through Lebanese MP Ali Fayyad, reiterated its demand that the issues of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the cessation of hostilities take place before any discussion on disarmament, NNA reported.
By force?
Lebanon’s political leadership, however, is pushing for the move – even if it may come by force.
“If there is a cost to be able to centralise the weapons with the … Lebanese armed forces, [it may be] better like that,” Elias Hankash, another member of the Lebanese parliament, told Al Jazeera.
“But everything has been done so far … to avoid any clash with Hezbollah.”
The Lebanese army will take on Hezbollah if and when there’s a political decision to disarm the group by force, Khodr said.
“I call on all political parties to approach the issue of arms control with full responsibility,” Aoun said on Friday, also stating that the issue of disarmament is sensitive due to sectarian divisions, with consequences for national peace.
In 2008, a government decision to dismantle the group’s telecommunication network led to street violence.
Lebanon’s Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani told NNA that the president has set a clear timetable for the disarmament process. He added that the Lebanese army has already taken over hundreds of Hezbollah sites and weapons depots.
Hani stressed that the group is a part of the “Lebanese fabric” and has played a major role in “liberating the land,” but “the next phase requires that the state alone be the decision maker of war and peace”.
Hezbollah was the most powerful military and political actor in Lebanon for years, and while it lost some military capabilities in its conflict last year with Israel, it has not been defeated entirely, Khodr said.
“Hezbollah is still strong in the state because of the monopoly [it has] over Shia representation as well as the appointment of key figures in all of the states,” Mark Daou, another MP, told Al Jazeera.
Lebanon’s political landscape and society have long been divided, with differing views on Hezbollah’s role and the need for disarmament.
The issue has dominated Lebanese politics for decades, but there is now a sense of urgency with increasing international pressure – as well as increasing military pressure from Israel, which regularly targets Hezbollah despite the ceasefire between the two since November 2024.
“The government is now expected to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah, a decision that could at the least ignite a political crisis,” said Khodr.
