Hezbollah Rejects Lebanon Government's Demand for Disarmament

Na'im Qassem, the leader of the Lebanese armed faction Hezbollah, rejected the Lebanese government's demand for disarmament.

Yonhap News

According to Al-Manar, a propaganda media operated by Hezbollah, on the 10th (local time), Qassem said in an interview conducted the previous day, "We are a resistance force that considers Israel a threat to Lebanon, and we do not oppose the state and the military protecting Lebanon."

He added, "I do not consider the president's remarks regarding the monopoly on weapons to be directed at us," emphasizing, "The resistance forces have the right to continue protecting Lebanon."

Joseph Aoun, the President of Lebanon, stated in his inauguration speech last January that the Lebanese government forces will have exclusive use of weapons in the future. This is interpreted as a move to ensure that both Hezbollah and Israel withdraw their troops from southern Lebanon as part of a ceasefire agreement and to prevent further clashes.

Hezbollah, which operates its own military organization with support from Iran, has controlled areas such as southern Lebanon where the influence of the Lebanese government forces is weak and has even taken on security roles.

Qassem acknowledged that Hezbollah suffered damage during the war with Israel from October 2023 to November last year, stating, "The resistance continues, but we have been wounded and have paid sacrifices."

He claimed, "Although there were great sacrifices, the enemy also suffered significant military and economic losses, and the number of Zionist (Israeli) soldiers has decreased."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.