Hezbollah leader rejects disarmament demands, labels them "gift" to Israel

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Friday dismissed calls for the group to disarm, warning that any such effort was a "delusion" that would serve Israeli interests. "No one will be allowed to remove the weapons of the resistance," Qassem said during a public address focused on Lebanon's defense strategy and the current political landscape. 

The remarks escalate a simmering debate over Hezbollah's military autonomy, which has long divided Lebanese politics. Qassem accused domestic critics advocating disarmament of promoting foreign agendas and inflaming artificial crises. 

"The true danger is Israel's occupation and ongoing aggression," he said. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during a visit to Qatar this week, reaffirmed his commitment to bringing all weapons under state control by 2025, emphasizing that the process must be driven by "domestic consensus, not external dictates."