BEIRUT, December 28. /TASS/. Hezbollah refuses to discuss the issue of its disarmament until Israel withdraws its troops from Lebanon, the group’s leader Naim Qassem said.
"The government’s striving for a monopoly over weapons now is in the interests of the United States and Israel, which want to put an end to the existence of resistance forces in Lebanon," he said in a televised address. "that is why we will not compel our fighter to disarm amid the continuing aggression, when several southern areas are still occupied. We consider such a step to be illogical."
Qassem’s statement came in response to the government’s plans to launch in January 2026 a campaign to disarm illegal armed units operating north of the Litani River after the army established control over the southern regions.
"We call on the cabinet to postpone this decision which will lead to an internecine war," he said. "The Lebanese army must not turn into an Israeli policeman."
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on December 20 that the government was ready to proceed to stage two of its plan for disarming paramilitary units that will embrace areas south of the Litani River. He also called for international assistance to the Lebanese army in this mission.