Hezbollah warns Lebanese government of civil war over disarmament plan

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has stated that the Lebanese government will be held responsible for any civil war and destruction that may arise in the country due to its decision earlier this month to disarm the group.

Tensions are escalating between the Lebanese government, which decided to disarm Hezbollah under US pressure, and the organization itself. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the government would be responsible for any civil war and destruction that might erupt in the country as a result of the decision made earlier this month.

Qassem stated, “The Lebanese government bears full responsibility for any strife, any internal conflict, and any destruction that may befall Lebanon. The state’s duty is to defend the territory and people of Lebanon.”

The resistance will not disarm as long as attacks continue

The Hezbollah leader emphasized that they will not lay down their arms as long as Israeli attacks and occupation persist, adding, “If necessary, we will wage a struggle similar to Karbala against this American-Israeli project, and we are confident that we will be victorious.”

Qassem said that for now, Hezbollah and its Shiite ally, the Amal Movement, have postponed street protests to “allow space for dialogue and changes,” but he described the decision as dangerous. “The cabinet’s decision on August 5 is a dangerous step that violates the national consensus and destroys national security,” Qassem said, adding that the army should not be involved in this process. “The army’s record is clean,” he noted.

The government has no legitimacy

Qassem argued that this decision delegitimizes the government, stating, “The Taif Agreement and the government’s own program do not grant it this right. The legitimacy of the resistance comes not from the government, but from blood and liberation. The government’s duty is to build the country, not to hand it over to the Israeli and American enemy.”

Noting that this decision would “facilitate the killing of resistance fighters and their families and their expulsion from their lands,” Qassem said the government’s primary duty is to expel Israel from Lebanon:

“We have said it repeatedly: Stop the aggression, remove Israel from Lebanon, and we will cooperate fully with you to discuss a national defense strategy. This decision is a grave mistake; you are selling out your national partners in exchange for a life promised to you by accepting their murder.”

To those who advocate for the state’s monopoly on weapons, Qassem asked, “Have you not seen the Israeli Chief of Staff on our land, congratulating his soldiers and promising them more? Have you not heard Benjamin Netanyahu’s words about a ‘Greater Israel’?”

The Hezbollah leader said that Israel continues to violate the ceasefire in Lebanon, yet Hezbollah has remained patient for eight months. “Both our fighters and our people have been targeted because we believe this phase requires patience,” he said.

Qassem also mentioned that a recent poll published in the country revealed that the majority of the Lebanese people believe the army cannot protect the country alone and that diplomacy is insufficient. “If you feel inadequate, leave the enemy to us. Israel’s past wars have failed, and this one will fail too,” he concluded.

Israeli attacks and the government’s decision

Qassem’s speech came one day after intense Israeli airstrikes targeted southern and eastern Lebanon. The Israeli army claimed that the attacks hit Hezbollah “tunnels” and military infrastructure.

The speech also followed the Lebanese cabinet’s decision to disarm Hezbollah. According to the decision, the Lebanese army will prepare an implementation plan by the end of August. The goal is to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. This decision is reported to have been prompted by months of intense pressure from the US and is based on a proposal from Washington.

Hezbollah has accused the government of making a hasty decision without engaging in dialogue with the resistance on a national defense strategy and has announced that it will consider the decision “null and void.”

In recent months, Hezbollah has repeatedly expressed its openness to discussing the use of its weapons for state defense purposes. However, it emphasizes that these discussions cannot take place before Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and ends its attacks on the country.

Beirut initially responded to Washington’s disarmament proposal with the condition that Israel must first withdraw and cease its attacks; however, this demand was rejected.