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LEBANON CEASEFIRE

Hezbollah MP claims 'weapons of the resistance are here to stay'


Hezbollah MP claims 'weapons of the resistance are here to stay'

Residents returning to their villages in South Lebanon pass under a bridge in the Ghazieh region displaying photos of Hezbollah's chain of command decimated by Israel, on Nov. 29, 2024. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)

A Hezbollah lawmaker, Rami Abou Hamdane, affirmed Tuesday that "the weapons of the resistance are here to stay," just days before the two months allotted for implementing the cease-fire terms negotiated between the group and Israel. These clashes, which were initially sporadic beginning Oct. 8, 2023, escalated into near-total war last September.

"As the Hebrew state continues to threaten Lebanon, Hezbollah’s arsenal will remain," Abou Hamdane said in Tamnin al-Tahta, in the Bekaa Valley, during the funeral of a militant who was killed in combat with Israel.

A cease-fire was reached Nov. 27 and is set to expire Jan. 26, but Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities have denounced regular violations of the agreement. The terms include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon within 60 days, while Hezbollah is to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border, and then dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Abou Hamdane’s remarks echo those of the party’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who on Saturday called on the Lebanese state and the international community "not to test the patience" of Hezbollah on the eve of the implementation of the truce between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.

On Monday, another Hezbollah MP, Ali Fayad, warned that "Hezbollah will not stand idly by if Israel does not withdraw from the territories of southern Lebanon before Jan. 26."

A Hezbollah lawmaker, Rami Abou Hamdane, affirmed Tuesday that "the weapons of the resistance are here to stay," just days before the two months allotted for implementing the cease-fire terms negotiated between the group and Israel. These clashes, which were initially sporadic beginning Oct. 8, 2023, escalated into near-total war last September."As the Hebrew state continues to...