Qassem: Anyone Demanding the Surrender of Weapons Serves the Israeli Project

SadaNews - On Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the Lebanese "Hezbollah", Naeem Qassem, reiterated the linkage of discussions regarding his group's weapons to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories, launching an attack on anyone demanding this by stating: "Anyone who calls for the surrender of weapons today is essentially calling for surrendering them to Israel and serves the Israeli agenda."

Qassem criticized the American envoy Tom Barak, accusing him of "creating problems in the country and distorting the facts... and was surprised that the official Lebanese stance was united in the necessity of stopping the aggression before discussing the issue of weapons."

Qassem rejected the notion that the ceasefire agreement applies to northern Litani, stating: "We have assisted the state in implementing the agreement, which is exclusively in southern Litani, and those who link the ceasefire to the disarmament should be told that this matter is an internal affair."

He continued: "Let the aggression stop, let Israel withdraw, and let the prisoners return, and then you can have with us the best discussions and responses of the highest kind." He added: "We are working on the path of resistance to liberate the land with specific tools, which are directed solely against Israel, and the political path for building the state must not overshadow one approach over another."

He considered that "the resistance is a support for the army to ensure that the triad of the army, people, and resistance is effective and not merely formal." Qassem reiterated that the responsibility for reconstruction lies with the state, saying: "The state must perform two main duties: stopping the aggression by all means and facilitating reconstruction, even from its own treasury."