Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reaffirmed in a televised speech on Friday the centrality of armed Resistance as a response to Israeli aggression and expansion, rejecting any discussion of disarmament while occupation persists.

"The resistance is a reaction to the occupation," Sheikh Qassem said, "especially in the event that the Lebanese state is unable to protect the land and its citizens on its own."

He warned of the Israeli regime's broader ambitions, declaring, "'Israel' is expansionist—it is not satisfied with occupied Palestine but also wants to take Lebanon."

Resistance achievements and ceasefire credibility

Highlighting the role of resistance in Lebanon's modern history, Sheikh Qassem said, "The distinction of the resistance in Lebanon is that it has achieved great and influential accomplishments over the past 40 years."

He credited the current ceasefire to the endurance of the resistance. "The ceasefire agreement is the result of the steadfastness of the resistance," he stated. "Without this steadfastness, there would be no agreement, and 'Israel' would have continued its aggression."

Sheikh Qassem added, "The entire world today acknowledges that Hezbollah and the Lebanese state adhered to the agreement, while 'Israel' did not."

Rejection of disarmament calls

Addressing local and international calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament, Sheikh Qassem warned, "Israel’s talk about disarming the resistance is aimed at weakening Lebanon and occupying it as part of its expansionist project."

"There is one particular party and a few discordant voices in Lebanon who focus solely on the issue of the Resistance’s weapons," he said. "But the Resistance’s weapons are exclusively tied to confronting the Israeli enemy."

"The primary issue in Lebanon is not the Resistance’s weapons but the expulsion of the Israeli occupation," he asserted.

Steadfastness, unity, and options

Sheikh Qassem stressed that the Resistance is here to stay. "As long as the resistance exists—and that it will—alongside the national army, the Lebanese people, and its popular base, 'Israel' cannot achieve its objectives."

He dismissed any suggestion of weakness, saying, "Anyone who thinks we are weak is delusional." He added, "We confront the occupation with the strength of our position, national unity, the building of the army, and the preparedness of the resistance. We have not and will not surrender."

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The Hezbollah leader emphasized that diplomacy has its limits. "The opportunity we are giving to diplomacy is not open-ended," he said. "We have options, we fear nothing, and if you persist, you will see at the right time what we decide."

Urging reflection on resistance outcomes rather than its costs, he said, "One should not say to the resistance, ‘You have paid a high price, look at the losses,’ but rather ask how it was able to prevent 'Israel' from achieving its goals."

He concluded, "We are patiently steadfast with wisdom because we know there is a balance in losses and gains, but we do not build on that; we build on our stance, and our stance is resistance."

Resistance arms serve to defend homeland

Sheikh Qassem firmly rejected all calls for the disarmament of the Resistance, emphasizing that Hezbollah’s weapons are integral to Lebanon’s defense and sovereignty. "We are not weak; we are people of confrontation, dignity, and pride—for the land and the people," he said.

"We will not allow anyone to disarm Hezbollah or the Resistance; this idea must be entirely discarded," Sheikh Qassem declared. He warned that "those calling for the disarmament of the Resistance by force are offering a free service to the Israeli enemy and are aiming to sow discord between the Resistance and the army. That discord will not happen."

"These weapons are the backbone of the Resistance. They liberated our country and protected its sovereignty," Qassem stated. "We will confront anyone who attacks the Resistance or seeks to disarm us, and we advise no one to play this game with us."

He added, "Those who have the most honorable people fear no one in the world, and those who have the most honorable people stand firm while cowards flee."

Lebanon’s defensive strategy

On the ceasefire agreement, he clarified, "It applies exclusively to the area south of the Litani River, and this is stated five times in the agreement."

Sheikh Qassem said further discussions can only happen after Israeli compliance: "Let’s first see ‘Israel’ adhere to the agreement, then we can talk." He added, "Once ‘Israel’ fulfills its obligations, Lebanon will begin discussing the other provisions of Resolution 1701."

Sheikh Qassem outlined a framework for any future dialogue. "Three fundamental principles must govern any dialogue: first, the protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty, the liberation of its land, and the cessation of all forms of aggression against it." He added, "The second principle in any dialogue is to leverage the strength of the Resistance and its weapons in any defensive strategy."

The third, he said, would be to de-link reconstruction and the disarmament of the Resistance. 

He confirmed that there had been an "exchange of messages with the President of the Republic regarding the implementation of the agreement south of the Litani," noting the messages were "positive and will remain so."

"When we are invited to dialogue, we will be ready," he said, "but not under the pressure of occupation."

As for the defensive strategy itself, he stressed, "We will not discuss the details in the media, nor will we preempt the principles that will be agreed upon once we sit at the dialogue table."

Link between disarmament, reconstruction rejected

Sheikh Qassem tied the Israeli occupation's obligations directly to the path forward. "Hezbollah has fulfilled its responsibilities; let ‘Israel’ fulfill its own, and let the Lebanese state fulfill its own."

He insisted that any transition to the next phase must begin with a clear end to hostilities: "Moving to the second phase requires implementing the first phase, which includes the withdrawal of ‘Israel,’ an end to its aggression, and the actual start of reconstruction."

Sheikh Qassem rejected any conditional approach to rebuilding. "They say they are linking reconstruction to disarmament; we say we are the ones linking weapons to reconstruction," he stated.

He concluded with a warning to Washington: "Lebanon cannot move forward under US guardianship, and the US must respect the Lebanese people’s will for independence and non-interference in its affairs."