Fri Jul 18 21:56:12 UTC 2025: ## Hezbollah Rejects US Proposal for Disarmament, Jeopardizing Lebanon-Israel Peace Efforts

**Beirut, Lebanon** – Hopes for a breakthrough in peace negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have been dealt a potential setback after a top Hezbollah official dismissed a US-backed proposal calling for the group’s disarmament. Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, stated on Friday that the group would not relinquish its weapons, arguing that doing so would leave Lebanon vulnerable to Israeli aggression.

These remarks directly contradict efforts by US diplomat Thomas Barrack, who had expressed optimism earlier this month about a “go-forward plan” to achieve peace between the two nations. Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria, had presented the disarmament proposal to Lebanese leadership last month.

Qassem, however, argued that the immediate threat to Lebanon’s existence supersedes the issue of granting the state a monopoly on arms. “After we address that danger, we are ready to discuss a defense strategy or a national security strategy,” he stated in a video message. He claimed the Lebanese armed forces had failed to protect the country from Israeli aggression since 1948.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, while acknowledging the fears of Israeli escalation, has characterized the US proposal as an “opportunity” that could lead to a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. He conceded Hezbollah’s past role in liberating South Lebanon in 2000 but emphasized that its arms should now be under state control.

The rejection of disarmament by Hezbollah highlights the complex security situation in Lebanon, particularly in the context of the ceasefire agreement established last November following months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement stipulated Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River and an Israeli troop withdrawal from Lebanon. However, Israel maintains forces in strategic areas and has been accused of repeated ceasefire violations.

While Hezbollah suffered significant losses in last year’s war, including the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah and the destruction of much of its arsenal, Qassem stated the group would continue to prepare for defensive confrontation, rejecting disarmament under the threat of renewed conflict. The future of the US-brokered peace initiative now hangs in the balance, with the opposing stances of Hezbollah and the Lebanese government presenting a significant obstacle.

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