Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem delivering a speech broadcast live during a socio-religious ceremony in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Dec. 13, 2025. Screenshot from al-Manar.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Saturday called on Lebanese authorities to stop making concessions to Israel and to reconsider their current approach. He asserted that the resistance favors “a defensive strategy aimed at leveraging Lebanon’s strength and its resistance” and firmly opposes any “move leading to capitulation.”
“Since the cease-fire, we have entered a new phase that requires a different approach,” Qassem said during a speech broadcast live from a socio-religious ceremony in Beirut’s southern suburbs. “The state has become responsible for sovereignty, for protecting Lebanon, for expelling the occupier, and for deploying the army.” He added that “the role of the resistance is to support the army, prevent the enemy from establishing a foothold, and assist in liberation; protecting Lebanon is now the responsibility of the political authority, not primarily that of the resistance.”
Raising his tone, Qassem continued: “Let the state stop the concessions. Haven’t you heard the U.S. ambassador say that negotiations are one thing and continued aggression is another?” He urged the state “to backtrack and reconsider its approach.”
“Apply the cease-fire agreement first, and then we can discuss a defense strategy,” he said forcefully. “Do not ask us not to defend ourselves when the state is unable to protect its citizens.”
During meetings with Lebanese officials on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa stated that “just because Lebanese-Israeli talks have begun, that doesn’t mean Israel will stop its operations,” noting that Israel distinguishes between “negotiations with the Lebanese government” and “its war against Hezbollah.” Hezbollah, for its part, continues to refuse to hand over its weapons as long as Israeli attacks and occupation persist in southern Lebanon.
"Maximum" cooperation with the army
In his speech, Naim Qassem also said that the resistance is “ready for maximum cooperation with the Lebanese Army.” He noted that it has helped the army extend state authority and supports a defense strategy “aimed at leveraging Lebanon’s strength and that of its resistance.”
However, he stressed that the group “is not ready for any move leading to capitulation to the Israeli entity and the American tyrant.” “With capitulation, Lebanon will not survive, and Syria is an example,” the party chief said. “Do not think that Syria is recovering; all of that is an illusion.” He further accused the United States and Israel of seeking to weaken the resistance while equipping the army only in a limited way, leaving Lebanon “powerless.”
Qassem continued: “If the army is unable to ensure the country’s protection, do we demand its disarmament? No. If it cannot protect us, we call for strengthening its armament. If the resistance has not ensured Lebanon’s protection, do we demand its disarmament? Or do we instead take advantage of this strength to support the army and the state against the occupier?”
In support of his argument, he said that “the head of UNIFIL acknowledged that he had no evidence Hezbollah was rearming south of the Litani River, while Israel was openly violating the cease-fire.”
Qassem concluded by reaffirming that “weapons will not be handed over to satisfy Israel’s objectives, even if the entire world were to unite in a war against Lebanon.” “We will not back down from our position,” he said, adding that “the resistance has achieved four major accomplishments: it liberated the land, stood firm, deterred the enemy, and ended the invasion of Lebanon.”
