Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday launched a sharp attack against the Lebanese government, rejected direct negotiations with Israel, and reaffirmed that the Iran-backed group would continue its armed confrontation despite growing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Speaking during a televised address marking the anniversary of what Hezbollah calls the “Liberation and Resistance Day,” Qassem accused Lebanese authorities of abandoning what he described as the “resistance” and making concessions to Israel “for nothing.”
He directly criticized the government’s handling of the ongoing war and ceasefire negotiations, saying: “If this government is incapable of ensuring sovereignty, then it should leave.”
Hezbollah Rejects Direct Negotiations with Israel
Qassem firmly rejected direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, describing them as a “pure gain for Israel.”
He called on Lebanese authorities to abandon the current path and return to indirect negotiations instead. “We completely reject direct negotiations,” Qassem said, urging the Lebanese state to move toward what he called “national understanding.”
“Weapons Will Remain in Our Hands”
The Hezbollah leader reiterated the group’s refusal to disarm despite repeated calls from Lebanese authorities and international actors for the state to exercise exclusive control over weapons.
Qassem explicitly urged the Lebanese government to reverse its decision to restrict arms solely to state institutions. “We call on the Lebanese government to retreat from the decision to confine weapons to the hands of the state,” he said.
He further declared that Hezbollah’s weapons would remain in place until the Lebanese state is capable of defending the country according to the group’s standards.
“The weapons will remain in our hands until the Lebanese state is capable of carrying out its duties in a way that protects Lebanon, its people and its resources,” he stated.
Threats Against Israel and Hezbollah’s Opponents
During his speech, Qassem vowed that Hezbollah would continue fighting Israel and anyone aligned with it.
“We will confront Israel and everyone who confronts us alongside it with full force, honor and sacrifice,” he said. He also declared: “We will not kneel even if the whole world closes in on us.”
Qassem further claimed that Israel was suffering “major losses” in southern Lebanon and accused the Israeli army of targeting civilians because it was “unable to respond militarily on the battlefield.”
His comments came shortly before the Israeli army reiterated that it remains prepared for renewed escalation on the Lebanese front. In a statement published Sunday, the Israeli military’s Northern Command said the army “continues to attack Hezbollah in all dimensions” and remains ready “to return to intense combat immediately.”
“The IDF continues to monitor regional developments and is prepared to return to intense combat immediately and to further weaken the Iranian terrorist regime and its capabilities,” the statement said.
Escalating Tensions After War and Ceasefire Agreements
Qassem’s remarks come amid mounting tensions following months of devastating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel that erupted after the Iran-backed group opened the Lebanese front following the killing of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei earlier this year.
The war caused widespread destruction across Lebanon, particularly in the south, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs, while displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and intensifying pressure on the Lebanese state to reassert full authority over security and military decisions.
The speech also comes after repeated statements by Lebanese officials affirming the state’s intention to restore exclusive authority over weapons and security matters across all Lebanese territory, as well as ongoing international pressure for Hezbollah’s disarmament under ceasefire arrangements reached earlier this year.
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