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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stressed on June 28 that the group would not lay down its arms while Israel continued attacking Lebanon.
In a speech, the leader said that a ceasefire with Israel would impose responsibilities on the state, but Hezbollah was prepared in the face of Israel’s continued attacks.
“Who in their right mind would give up their power? We will not give up our power while Israel continues its attacks,” he said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Qassem added that recent Israeli strikes on civilians in the southern town of Nabatieh are unacceptable and the state must do its part to deal with the situation. He was referring to an attack that killed a woman and wounded 11 other people. Israel said that the incident was caused by secondary blasts from a nearby underground base of Hezbollah that was bombed by its air force.
The leader also emphasized that the Lebanese resistance group would not remain silent in the face of repeated Israeli attacks.
“Do you think we will remain silent forever? That is not true. You have already tried us, and we have no choice but our honor,” he said.
Israel strikes have reportedly killed more than 180 members of Hezbollah since a ceasefire with Lebanon brokered by the United States came into effect on November 27.
On June 28 alone, Israel said that it killed two members of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The first was identified as Hassan Mohammad Hamoudi, the commander of the group’s anti-tank missile unit in the Bint Jbeil area, while the second was identified as Abbas al-Hassan Wahbi, chief of intelligence in a battalion of the elite Radwan Force.
In addition to its neverending attacks, Israel has refused to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon as called for by the ceasefire agreement, keeping troops at five strategic posts in the region.
With the end of the Israeli attack on Iran, the main backer of Hezbollah, Qassem began to face more pressure from other political parties in Lebanon, including former allies of the group.
In recent days, Lebanese Druze leader and former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Christian Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, and leader of the Christian Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, all stated that weapons should only be in the hands of the state.
Qassem’s remarks indicate that Hezbollah will not bend. However, Israel could take advantage of the situation to justify renewing the war on Lebanon.
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