Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to disarm and vowed that any Israeli escalation would be met with a forceful response.
“The state must provide protection, not strip its people and resistance of their strength; it should benefit from it rather than disarm in favor of ‘Israel,’ America, and an Arab country,” Qassem said on Tuesday.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and the Lebanese Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The Iran-aligned Lebanese militant group is showing defiance despite months of political and military pressure, including a declaration in June that it would not respond to Israel and U.S. strikes on Iran—out of respect for the Lebanon ceasefire.
Israel has long sought the disarmament of Iran’s network of proxy groups, but Hezbollah argues there are no credible guarantees that Israel will honor a ceasefire. The group also faces internal pressure, as Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis has tied potential international aid to state control over weapons.
What To Know
“We reject any timetable proposed under the umbrella of Israeli aggression,” Qassem said on Tuesday, rejecting the government’s plan to set a disarmament deadline by year’s end, according to Hezbollah’s official channel Al-Manar TV.
Referring to what he called “American guardianship,” he said the U.S. plan sought to serve only Israel’s interests. U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack presented a plan in Beirut on June 19 that called for Hezbollah to disarm by November—in exchange for an Israeli troop withdrawal, a halt to airstrikes, economic reforms and border demarcation, according to Reuters.
Qassem said Barrack demanded Hezbollah give up even basic arms in 30 days and cut capabilities by half in return for a limited Israeli pullout. When asked at a July news conference in Beirut whether the U.S. could guarantee Israel’s withdrawal, Barrack replied that Washington “cannot compel Israel to act.”
In July and early August, incidents along the Israel–Lebanon border put the U.S.-brokered ceasefire under strain. Qassem warned Israel that any escalation would trigger a forceful response, saying, “Rockets will fall inside the entity, collapsing the security they have built over eight months within one hour.”
The Lebanese government is under intense pressure to secure foreign aid, especially from Gulf countries and international institutions. As part of this effort, there is mounting internal and external pressure on Hezbollah to agree to disarmament or at least reduce its military role.
“We refuse to be slaves to anyone. To those who talk to us about concessions because of funding cuts, we ask: What funding do you mean?” Qassem said.
Lebanon has been grappling with one of the worst financial collapses globally, with its gross domestic product dropping by more than 38 percent and the currency losing more than 98 percent of its value since 2019, according to the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy in 2025. The crisis has been deepened by widespread corruption, mismanagement and a lack of credible reforms.
Barrack told Lebanon’s LBC TV that Gulf partners—traditionally the main investors in Lebanon’s recovery—remain skeptical of channeling funds without meaningful reforms and guarantees.
What People Are Saying
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Tuesday, as quoted by Al-Manar TV: “We will confront foreign guardianship, American-Arab encroachment, and internal bullying. This is a dangerous phase in Lebanon’s path to independence, but we are stronger through the triad of the army, the people, and the resistance—and through unity.”
U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack said in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation that aired on July 9: “We have to create a time frame. When I say we, the Lebanese have to choose to create a time frame. We will help on those boundaries and borders. This is an opportunity. … We’re just here to usher the speed of that opportunity, but we’re not going to influence it.”
What Happens Next
The Lebanese Cabinet will resume discussions on the proposal this week in hope of reaching an agreement, according to Reuters.
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