Hezbollah disarmament initiative Israeli-US plan: Naim Qassem

The head of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, has said that the initiative to disarm the organization is actually an Israeli-US plan. He also accused Israel of not adhering to the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed last year. Al Arabiya News.
Amid intense pressure from the United States and fears of a larger Israeli offensive, the Lebanese army is expected to complete the disarmament of Hezbollah from the southern part of the Litani River by the end of the year. The river is located about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border. After that, efforts will be made to disarm the Iran-backed group in the rest of the country.
“Disarmament is an Israeli-American plan,” Naim Qassem said in a televised address last Sunday (December 28). “When Israel continues its aggression and America is imposing its will on Lebanon and rendering it powerless, unilaterally demanding arms control means that you are not acting in the interests of Lebanon, but in the interests of Israel.”
Israel has continued to attack Lebanon and maintain its military presence in five strategic areas, ignoring a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah that lasted more than a year, in November 2024. Under the agreement, Hezbollah was ordered to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure in the south.
However, Israel has questioned the effectiveness of the Lebanese army and accused Hezbollah of re-acquisition of weapons. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has rejected calls to surrender its weapons. “The deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River will only apply when Israel fulfills its commitments — to stop the aggression, withdraw troops, release prisoners and begin reconstruction,” Qassem said.
He added, “Since Israel has not implemented any phase of the Lebanese-Israeli agreement, there is no obligation on the Lebanese side to take any action at any stage until Israel fulfills its obligations.” Meanwhile, Lebanese army chief Rodolfo Haykal told a meeting on Tuesday that “the army is on track to complete the first phase of its plan.” He said that subsequent phases of disarmament are also being carefully planned.