The deputy leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Naim Kassem, has issued a sharp warning that the group will resume missile attacks on Israel if the Israeli military escalates its operations against the Iran-backed faction.
Kassem’s remarks, delivered in a televised speech on Tuesday, came as Lebanon’s Cabinet convened to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament a move driven by US pressure following the group’s 14-month-long war with Israel, which ended in November. That conflict left Hezbollah severely weakened, with many of its senior military and political figures killed.
“Israel’s interest is not to widen the aggression because if they expand, the resistance will defend, the army will defend, and the people will defend,” Kassem said. “This defense will lead to the fall of missiles inside Israel.”
Since the US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah has pulled most of its fighters and weaponry from the southern border area below the Litani River. However, the group has refused to entertain talks about disarming, insisting that Israeli withdrawal from five contested hills inside Lebanese territory must come first along with an end to almost daily Israeli airstrikes, which have claimed hundreds of lives, mostly Hezbollah members.
Israeli officials accuse Hezbollah of attempting to rebuild its military infrastructure, especially in positions that overlook northern Israeli communities. Israel’s military maintains that the five strategic positions it holds inside Lebanon are vital to its national security.
While the ceasefire has largely held since November, Hezbollah has admitted to at least one attack in a disputed border zone. The situation remains tense, with about 60,000 Israelis displaced from their homes in the north during the war.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last week renewed his call for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons a move that triggered anger within the group. Hezbollah argues that the ceasefire deal only obliges Lebanese authorities to dismantle unauthorized facilities south of the Litani River, while Israel and the US interpret the agreement as applying to Hezbollah’s forces and infrastructure throughout the country.
Kassem was adamant that Hezbollah’s arms are not up for negotiation in parliament or cabinet. “Hezbollah rejects any timetable to hand over its weapons,” he said, adding that disarmament must be a consensus decision, not one imposed through political pressure. “No one can deprive Lebanon of its force to protect its sovereignty.”
Hezbollah’s arsenal remains a divisive issue within Lebanon. While some factions consider the group a vital resistance force against Israeli aggression, others view its weapons as a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and democratic governance.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah began a day after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel from Gaza. That conflict left over 4,000 people dead and caused an estimated $11 billion in damage.
As Lebanon continues to grapple with political instability and economic crisis, the future of Hezbollah’s military role remains at the heart of a deep national and regional dilemma.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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