Hezbollah deputy leader warns of ‘no life in Lebanon’ if disarmament proceeds

BEIRUT — As tensions mount along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, and with the Lebanese government — including Shia ministers and lawmakers — reaffirming its decision to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, the group’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, renewed his accusations that the government is serving what he called the “American-Israeli project,” holding it responsible for any potential internal unrest.

Qassem denounced the government’s disarmament plan, claiming it would weaken Lebanon’s national security. He escalated his rhetoric with a stark warning: “There will be no life in Lebanon” if authorities attempt to forcibly strip Hezbollah of its arsenal — remarks that analysts and politicians have described as a direct challenge to the authority of the Lebanese state.

Across the border, the head of Israel’s Northern Command warned that Hezbollah’s ability to rearm has been severely limited by ongoing strikes on its facilities. He vowed that the Israeli military would continue dismantling the group’s military capabilities, reducing its threat along the frontier, and safeguarding Druze villages near the border by ensuring their medical and defensive needs are met.

The Israeli commander also highlighted his country’s success in disrupting Iranian arms smuggling routes through Iraq and Syria, noting that recent measures in Syria had further strengthened control over the northern frontier.

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Under the current cease-fire — in place since November 2024 after more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah — the militia is required to withdraw from the area south of the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure there. In exchange, the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were to expand their deployment in the region.

Despite the agreement, Israel has continued conducting airstrikes in southern Lebanon, insisting it will eliminate any remaining Hezbollah threat and warning that continued calm depends on the group’s full withdrawal from several strategic points that Israel deems vital to its security.