Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned Wednesday that any withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from south of the Litani River would constitute “a gain for Israel,” insisting that the group’s weapons remain a “Lebanese internal matter.”
Speaking at a memorial marking one year since the death of senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokr, Qassem accused Israel of failing to abide by the terms of the November ceasefire agreement in southern Lebanon.
He added that while the deal may have secured northern Israeli settlements, “has security been achieved in Lebanon?” he asked.
In parallel, Qassem criticized US envoy Tom Barrack, claiming that his calls for disarmament are intended to serve Israeli interests rather than ensure Lebanon’s stability.
“Israel is not stopping at the five occupied points,” he warned, “it is waiting for the resistance to be disarmed so it can expand and build its settlements.”
He described ongoing attacks, assassinations, and strikes in Lebanon as part of an “Israeli expansionist project,” and cautioned that Lebanon is facing an existential threat from “Israel, ISIS, and the United States under the guise of the New Middle East.”
“Lebanon will never be annexed to Israel as long as we have breath,” he declared, emphasizing that Hezbollah’s members are committed to their cause: “We are a people who have sold our skulls to God. We live and die in our homeland.”
Finally, Qassem claimed that Hezbollah played a role in the election of President Joseph Aoun, further underscoring the group’s influence in Lebanese political affairs.
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