Sun Jul 06 12:43:39 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version as a news article:

**Summary:**

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has declared that the group will not disarm or back down from confronting Israel, despite ongoing Israeli air raids and occupation of Lebanese territory. Speaking at an Ashura commemoration, Qassem stated that Hezbollah is open to peace talks but will only consider disarming after Israel withdraws from occupied territories, ends its aggression, releases prisoners, and allows for reconstruction. This comes amidst continued Israeli strikes in Southern Lebanon, despite a nominal ceasefire brokered after a large-scale war. The declaration coincides with US pressure on Hezbollah to disarm and an upcoming visit by a US envoy to Beirut.

**News Article:**

**Hezbollah Defiant: Refuses to Disarm Amidst Israeli Aggression**

**Beirut, Lebanon** – Naim Qassem, a leading figure in Hezbollah, has firmly rejected calls for the group to disarm, citing ongoing Israeli aggression and occupation of Lebanese territory as the primary reason. Qassem made the defiant statement during an Ashura commemoration in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, on Sunday.

“We cannot be asked to soften our stance or lay down arms while [Israeli] aggression continues,” Qassem told thousands of supporters. He emphasized that while Hezbollah remains open to peace, it will not disarm or back down until Israel withdraws from occupied territories, ceases its air raids, and releases prisoners.

The statement comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, triggered by the October 7th Hamas attack and the subsequent Israeli military response. While a US-brokered ceasefire nominally ended a large-scale war in November, Israel continues to occupy strategic border points in Southern Lebanon and conducts near-daily airstrikes, claiming they are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities.

Qassem condemned these ongoing actions, questioning how Hezbollah could be expected to disarm while Israel “continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?”

The Hezbollah leader also addressed normalization efforts, stating, “We will not be a part of legitimising the occupation in Lebanon and the region. We will not accept normalisation.”

Qassem’s speech comes as US envoy to Turkiye and Syria, Tom Barrack, is expected to arrive in Beirut on Monday amid reports that the US is demanding Hezbollah disarm by the end of the year. Israeli officials have warned that strikes on Lebanon will continue until the group disarms. However, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly called on the US and its allies to rein in Israel’s attacks, noting that disarming Hezbollah is a “sensitive, delicate issue”.

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