Hezbollah rejects Israeli pressure: ‘We will not surrender or lay down our arms’

Deputy leader Naim Qassem speaks on TV and reiterates his rejection of any demand for disarmament: ‘Israel’s aggression must end before any negotiations can take place’

Hezbollah has no intention of yielding to Israeli pressure and rejects any possibility of disarmament. This was reiterated by the deputy secretary-general of the Lebanese Shiite movement, Naim Qassem, in a televised speech in which he firmly rejected threats from Tel Aviv.

‘This threat will not make us accept surrender,’ Qassem said, stressing that the group will not lay down its arms and will not back down until, in his words, ‘Israeli aggression has ceased.’

Qassem’s words come at a time of high tension in the region, with an escalation of clashes along the border between Lebanon and Israel and renewed pressure from the international community for de-escalation. Hezbollah, however, continues to argue that its military capability represents a ‘legitimate defence’ against Israeli actions, reiterating its rejection of any form of normalisation with the Jewish state.

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