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Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has rejected a U.S.-backed disarmament proposal and vowed that any Israeli escalation would be met with a forceful response. Speaking on Tuesday, he said, “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.”
Despite months of political and military pressure, including a June declaration that Hezbollah would not respond to Israel and U.S. strikes on Iran out of respect for the Lebanon ceasefire, the Iran-aligned group is showing defiance. Israel has long sought the disarmament of Iran’s proxy groups like Hezbollah, but the group argues there are no credible guarantees that Israel will honor a ceasefire. Additionally, internal pressure from Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis ties potential international aid to state control over weapons.
On Tuesday, Qassem stated on Al-Manar TV, “We reject any timetable proposed under the umbrella of Israeli aggression,” rejecting the government’s plan to set a disarmament deadline by year-end. 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.
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, particularly 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.
Qassem stressed, “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?” Lebanon has been grappling with one of the worst financial collapses globally, with its GDP dropping by over 38 percent and the currency losing more than 98 percent of its value since 2019. The crisis is deepened by widespread corruption, mismanagement, and a lack of credible reforms.
Barrack told Lebanon’s LBC TV that Gulf partners remain skeptical of channeling funds without meaningful reforms and guarantees.
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.”
The Lebanese Cabinet will resume discussions on the proposal this week in hopes of reaching an agreement.
What Happens Next
The Lebanese Cabinet will resume discussions on the proposal this week in hopes of reaching an agreement.
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What is Hezbollah's stance on the U.S.-backed disarmament proposal presented by Tom Barrack?
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