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Hezbollah’s Qassem Defies Disarmament Demands After Israeli Threats

28 posts • OpenAI (o3)

Updated Jul 6, 2025, 11:30 AM

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Sunday that the Iran-backed movement will neither surrender nor give up its weapons despite mounting pressure from Israel, the United States and Lebanese political rivals. “Threats will not make us surrender,” he declared, adding that the group “will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon” and will reject any form of normalization with Israel.

Speaking in a televised address to thousands of supporters marking the Shiite holy day of Ashura in Beirut, Qassem stressed that Hezbollah’s missile stockpile remains the cornerstone of Lebanon’s defense and dismissed calls to hand it over. He argued that Israel must first withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, halt strikes that Beirut says have violated last November’s cease-fire, and release Lebanese prisoners.

The remarks come a day before U.S. envoy Tom Barrack is due in Beirut to press the government to place all weapons under state control by the end of the year, a key provision of the November 2024 truce that ended more than twelve months of hostilities. Lebanese leaders publicly back a state monopoly on arms but insist Israel comply fully with the cease-fire and evacuate five positions it still holds in the south.

Qassem, who took over Hezbollah’s leadership after longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike last September, said the movement would discuss national defense strategy only after reconstruction of war-damaged areas begins. Israel continues periodic strikes inside Lebanon, and Lebanese officials accuse it of thousands of cease-fire violations, leaving the future of the truce and disarmament talks uncertain.

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Open Source Intel

@Osint613

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, speaking from his bunker during a televised Ashura event in Beirut, said the group won’t disarm. “There is no room for surrender, and do not question our capabilities and capacities, we are men of the field.”

RFI

@RFI

Lebanon: Hezbollah will not “capitulate” or surrender its weapons under the threat of Israel, says its leader

Press TV 🔻

@PressTV

Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterates that the Lebanese resistance movement won't accept normalization with Israel. Follow:

Visegrád 24

@visegrad24

BREAKING: Hezbollah refuses to disarm. In his speech today, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that Hezbollah won’t surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats nor pressure from the U.S. or other Lebanese political groups. The Lebanese leaders who took

شبكة قدس الإخبارية

@qudsn

Hezbollah Secretary General Naeem Kassem: We will not be part of the legalization of the occupation in Lebanon and we will not accept normalization

#Hezbollah #Naim Qassem #Iran #Israel #United States #Lebanese #Lebanon #Shiite #Ashura #Beirut #Qassem #Tom Barrack #Hassan Nasrallah #Israeli

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Sources

t.me(2)europapress.es(2)hindustantimes.com iranintl.com

Hindustan Times

@htTweets

Will not surrender under threat from Israel, says Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem

BBC NEWS فارسی

@bbcpersian

Hezbollah leader Naeem Qasim said despite the pressure to disarm, Hezbollah will not give up in the face of Israeli threats and will not lay down arms. “This threat will not compel us to surrender,” he said in a speech on the occasion of Ashura to thousands of his supporters.

Iran International English

@IranIntl_En

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Sunday rejected international pressure on the Iran-backed group to surrender its weapons, saying Israeli threats would not force disarmament.