Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem defiantly rejects disarmament, threatening Israel from his underground hideout and vowing to keep the terror group’s weapons./p>
In a fiery address broadcast from his secret bunker, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem defiantly declared that the Iran-backed terror organization will “never surrender its weapons” — a brazen challenge to both the Lebanese state and the international community.
Marking Hezbollah’s so-called “Martyrs’ Day,” Qassem resurfaced to taunt Israel and the West, claiming, “Israeli strikes cannot continue indefinitely — everything has its limits. We will not give up our weapons.” His defiant rhetoric underscored the group’s continued stranglehold over Lebanon’s sovereignty and the deepening grip of Tehran’s proxies on the region.
Qassem’s bunker-broadcast came as Lebanon’s fragile government — under pressure from Washington and Jerusalem — prepares a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. But the terror chief scoffed at Beirut’s initiative, vowing that Hezbollah’s arsenal remains untouchable: “We will not entrust our future to arrogant powers… it is our right to defend our existence, our land, and our people.”
Israel’s defense analysts view Qassem’s outburst as a sign of panic. The IDF’s precision strikes over recent months have systematically dismantled Hezbollah’s southern networks and eliminated key operatives. “Hezbollah is bleeding and hiding underground,” one Israeli official noted, “and that’s exactly where Qassem chose to speak from — fear, not power.”
Qassem insisted the ceasefire signed a year ago applies only south of the Litani River — effectively admitting Hezbollah’s ongoing violations of UN Resolution 1701, which bans its military presence there. He further threatened that Israel must withdraw from five outposts in southern Lebanon “by all legitimate means,” an unmistakable call for renewed violence.
As Lebanon’s cabinet inches toward reclaiming its sovereignty, Qassem’s speech laid bare the truth: Hezbollah’s loyalty lies not with Beirut, but with Tehran. And as Israel continues to neutralize its positions, the terror group’s underground bravado increasingly sounds like desperation echoing through the tunnels of fear.
