Hezbollah: Will Not Lay Down Arms As Long As Israel Continues To Attack

Impact of Israeli attacks in Lebanon/DOCUMENTATION OF UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

JAKARTA - Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, stated on Saturday 28 June that his group would not lay down arms as long as Israel continued to carry out attacks in southern Lebanon.

According to a report by the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA), Qassem said a ceasefire with Israel would impose responsibility on the country, but Hezbollah is ready to face attacks that continue to be carried out by Israel.

"Who is sane will give up their power? We will not give up our power as long as Israel continues to carry out its attacks," he said in the Dahieh region, south of Beirut, quoted by ANTARA.

Qassem said Israel targeting civilians in Nabatieh was unacceptable and the state should take a role in overcoming the situation.

He stressed that Lebanese resistance groups would not remain silent in the face of the attack.

"Do you think we will continue to remain silent forever? That's not true. You have tested us, and we have no choice but to defend our honor," he stressed.

Hezbollah often states that they will not give up weapons in the context of maintaining national sovereignty.

Leader Druz Lebanese who is also former chairman of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt and Lebanese Christian Power Partaki leader Samir Geagea, also said that weapons should only be in the hands of the state.

Israeli forces have launched attacks on nearly daily in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah's activities, although a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been agreed since last November.

The deal ended months-long cross-border wars between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group.

Lebanese authorities reported nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations by Israel, including the deaths of at least 224 people and more than 500 people injured since the agreement was signed.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel should have fully withdrawn its troops from southern Lebanon no later than January 26, but the deadline was extended until February 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains military presence at five border posts.