Hezbollah Won't Surrender Arms: Sheikh Qassem

Addressing a ceremony held in Lebanon’s Baalbek on Friday to mark Arbaeen, Sheikh Naim Qassem strongly slammed the Lebanese government’s August 5 decision about the disarmament of Hezbollah.

He said it would strip Lebanon of its defensive capabilities amid ongoing aggression and facilitate the killing of resistance fighters and their fellow citizens.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on August 5 that the cabinet has formally assigned the Lebanese Army to draft a comprehensive plan aimed at consolidating arms under state control by the end of 2025. The army is expected to submit the plan for cabinet review no later than August 31, Al Mayadeen reported.

The decision followed a tense and extended cabinet meeting held at the presidential palace in Baabda, chaired by President Joseph Aoun. More than three hours of the session were devoted to the highly sensitive agenda item concerning the consolidation of arms under the state’s authority, a topic that continues to fuel deep political divides within the Lebanese government.

Sheikh Qassem described the decision as “dangerous” and a violation of Lebanon’s social cohesion, warning that it “exposes the country to a very serious crisis.”

He accused the government of carrying out “the American-Israeli scheme to dismantle the resistance, even at the cost of plunging Lebanon into civil war and fueling internal strife.”

"This government is serving the Israeli project, knowingly or not," he stated, addressing officials directly, "If you feel helpless, let us face the enemy ourselves. We don’t need you to engage; leave confronting it to us."

He also stressed that the government’s duty “is not to surrender the country to the enemy or to unchecked American domination,” questioning officials, "How can you, as a government, facilitate the killing of your own citizens? How can Lebanon survive if some of its partners turn against others?"

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sheikh Qassem referenced Israeli expansionist ambitions, saying, "Have you heard of Netanyahu’s plan to establish a ‘Greater Israel’? What can you say about this? What are you doing about it?"

Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed that “the Resistance drew its legitimacy from the blood of the martyrs, not from your (Lebanese government's) approval,” urging, "Do not drag the Lebanese army into internal strife or stain its honorable record" and maintaining that "its leadership does not wish to go down this path."

In this context, he held the Lebanese government fully responsible for any internal discord and for failing in its duty to defend Lebanon’s land.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Hezbollah's chief paid tribute to the Lebanese army martyrs in Zibqin, saying, "We extend our condolences to the martyrs of the Lebanese army who fell in Zibqin; they are martyrs of duty and truth, and martyrs of the resistance, the army, and the homeland."

A number of Lebanese army soldiers were martyred and others were injured on Saturday when unexploded ordnance from a previous Israeli attack detonated on the outskirts of Majdal Zoun in South Lebanon.

Sheikh Qassem reiterated that the Resistance “will never surrender our weapons as long as the aggression persists,” invoking the legacy of steadfast struggle exemplified in the Battle of Karbala, where Imam Hussein and his followers resisted oppression despite overwhelming odds. He vowed readiness for a Karbala-like confrontation if necessary, framing the fight as both a moral and spiritual duty, and declared absolute confidence in ultimate victory.

Recalling repeated appeals to halt the ongoing Israeli aggression on Lebanon and to end the presence of Israel in Lebanon, he said, "We have repeatedly said, stop the aggression and remove Israel from Lebanon, and you have our full cooperation during discussions on national and strategic security."

Sheikh Qassem stressed that “the vast majority of Lebanese stand behind the Resistance and its enduring mission.”

He underscored that Lebanon’s sovereignty is inseparable from the Resistance, declaring, "True sovereignty exists only when it is fortified by the resistance that liberated our land."

Hezbollah's chief said the Resistance has helped the state take control in southern Lebanon, "and for the past eight months, it (the Resistance) has been under attack, yet we have remained patient."

On the achievements of the Resistance and its role in regional struggles, Sheikh Qassem said, "Today we build our lives, our future, and our generations on the principle that every land and every era is (devoted) for victory, giving, sacrifice, and achieving great goals."

He urged unity among all Lebanese factions, warning that no single group can shoulder the nation’s future alone.

"Let us join forces to build this country; it cannot be constructed by one component in isolation. We must stand together and live with dignity, or Lebanon will not endure if you choose to stand in opposition."

"Either Lebanon endures and we stand together, or all is lost; and it will be all on you," Hezbollah's chief asserted.