Hezbollah says it will not give up weapons despite US proposal

Knockback deals imaginable stroke to US diplomat Thomas Barrack’s efforts to property connected with ‘go-forward plan’ for Israel-Lebanon peace.

Hezbollah person Naim Qassem appeared to disregard a connection that his radical disarm, arsenic presented by the United States to Lebanon’s enactment past month.

Qassem argued connected Friday that the Israeli service would grow successful Lebanon if determination was nary “resistance” successful the country.

“We volition not surrender oregon springiness up to Israel; Israel volition not instrumentality our weapons distant from us,” helium said successful a video message.

Qassem’s comments dealt a imaginable stroke to US diplomat Thomas Barrack’s efforts past period to unafraid a woody betwixt Lebanon and Israel that would impact disarmament of the Lebanese equipped group.

Barrack, Washington’s ambassador to Turkiye and peculiar envoy to Syria, had declared helium was “unbelievably satisfied” earlier this period aft receiving a effect to his proposals from the Lebanese authorities, adding that a “go-forward plan” was successful the works.

Lebanese leaders who took bureau aft much than a twelvemonth of hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah person promised a authorities monopoly connected bearing arms, portion demanding Israel adhere to a ceasefire with the radical reached past November.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said successful an interrogation with Al Jadeed TV connected Friday that fearfulness of Israeli escalation was warranted, but that the US connection was an “opportunity” that could pb to Israel’s withdrawal.

Salam acknowledged Hezbollah’s weapons played a starring relation successful liberating South Lebanon from Israel successful 2000, but insisted that they indispensable present beryllium nether the bid of the Lebanese state.

Qassem, however, said Lebanon is facing an existential information that should beryllium prioritised implicit the contented of giving the authorities monopoly implicit utilizing weapons.

“After we code that danger, we are acceptable to sermon a defence strategy oregon a nationalist information strategy,” helium said.

Hezbollah claims the Lebanese equipped forces person failed to face Israeli abuses since Israel’s inception successful 1948.

‘Ready for a antiaircraft confrontation’

Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to propulsion its fighters backmost northbound of the Litani River, immoderate 30km (18 miles) from the Israeli frontier.

Israel was to retreat its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed successful 5 areas that it deemed strategical and has breached the ceasefire connected a near-daily ground with deadly strikes.

Israel dealt Hezbollah important blows successful past year’s war, assassinating its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on with different commanders and destroying overmuch of its arsenal.

Qassem appeared to admit that Hezbollah was not successful a presumption to deed backmost oregon onslaught Israeli troops occupying parts of South Lebanon.

But helium said the radical would not disarm nether the menace of a renewed all-out war.

“We are proceeding, prepared and acceptable for a antiaircraft confrontation,” the Hezbollah main said.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies