Naim Qassem: Hezbollah Will Not Disarm

Lebanon marked the anniversary of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s death with large public events and messaging from the movement’s leadership. Naim Qassem used the moment to insist Hezbollah would not lay down its weapons, framed its arsenal as a matter of national sovereignty, and warned that the organization remains ready for war if necessary. He pressed the Lebanese state to pursue reconstruction, demand an Israeli withdrawal, halt cross-border strikes, and prioritize the release of Lebanese prisoners, signaling no openness to internationally backed disarmament initiatives.

His remarks arrive amid persistent exchanges of fire on the northern border and growing concern inside Israel over rockets, drones, and the potential for infiltration attempts. Hezbollah’s rhetoric is calibrated to project confidence and continuity, especially following losses among senior figures, and to reassure its base that the group can absorb blows while continuing to set the tempo of confrontation. For civilians on both sides of the frontier, the message translates into ongoing uncertainty: sporadic sirens, disrupted livelihoods, and the strain of living within range of an entrenched militia that rejects the prospect of demobilization.

Israel’s leadership has repeatedly stated that it will not tolerate the entrenchment of precision-guided munitions or new terrorist infrastructure on its border. That places diplomacy in a narrow lane; while outside actors explore de-escalation formulas, the gap remains wide between Israel’s security requirements and Hezbollah’s self-declared mission. Until those fundamentals shift, the region remains exposed to miscalculation and escalation, even as families in northern Israel pray for quiet and a safe return to normal life.

(INN/VFI News)

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:17