Hezbollah refuses to disarm while Israel occupies Lebanon
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on AIB
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naïm Qassem reiterated on 11 November 2026 his refusal to disarm the Shiite movement while the Israeli army occupies southern Lebanon, saying he was ready to face an offensive rather than give it up. He thus opposes the Lebanese state, which wants to restore its monopoly on weapons, according to AIB.
The secretary-general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Naïm Qassem, on Wednesday 11 November 2026 reiterated his refusal to disarm the Shiite movement while the Israeli army occupies part of southern Lebanon. In a speech delivered on Martyr’s Day, he said he was ready to face a new Israeli offensive rather than give up his organisation’s arsenal. He rejected calls from the Lebanese authorities and international pressure for disarmament.
Naïm Qassem nevertheless opened the possibility of discussions on Hezbollah’s weapons after the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the end of what he considers foreign tutelage. He also called on the Lebanese authorities to abandon the framework agreement negotiated with Israel under US mediation, which he considers unfavourable to Lebanon. While praising the role of the Lebanese army, he rejected having it tasked with disarming his movement by force.
This position comes as Hezbollah and the Lebanese state clash over control of weapons and decisions relating to war and peace. The movement had already begun rearming to confront Israel in Lebanon, while Israel had taken a strategic position held by the movement in the south of the country on 4 September 2026.
