Hezbollah, Qassem said, had done so because the group works along two parallel and complementary paths: “the path of resistance to liberate the land … directed exclusively at Israel, and the second is the political path of state building—by representing the people and their interests, and participation in political life until the state and all its sons, of whom we are a part, can rise again.” Qassem said the group does not generally prioritize one path over the other but may place its more emphasis on a particular path “depending on current conditions.” However, he stated that Hezbollah would not—indeed cannot—abandon either of the paths. Qassem also praised Lebanon’s top leadership—comprised of Aoun, Salam, and Hezbollah ally and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri—for adopting their positions, saying they had done so because of their interest in rebuilding Lebanon, “which cannot be done while the aggression is ongoing, or when someone comes and asks them to surrender the country’s source of strength, when the Americans come to force their will to deprive Lebanon of its strength and capabilities.” His group, he said, has no intention of surrendering its arms, and he described all calls to do so amidst ongoing Israeli attacks as “a call to surrender to Israel the weapons that are Lebanon’s strength.” Qassem insisted that not even the Lebanese state has the right to demand that Hezbollah surrender its weapons under these conditions, when it lacks the ability to deter Israel.
Author: David Daoud
Published at: 2025-08-03 21:59:28
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