Israel National News reports: “Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated Wednesday that demands for the group’s disarmament ultimately serve Israel’s interests, as US officials continue to press Lebanon to dismantle the Iran-backed terrorist group’s arsenal.

‘Those who call for submitting arms practically demand submitting them to Israel … We will not submit to Israel,’ Qassem said in a televised address, as quoted by Reuters.

The remarks follow reports that the US is pushing the Lebanese government to issue a formal commitment to disarm Hezbollah before any ceasefire agreement can be reached in the ongoing conflict with Israel. According to five sources cited by Reuters, the Trump administration has linked a disarmament pledge to halting Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which has suffered heavy losses in the war with Israel over the past year—including the deaths of thousands of terrorists and the destruction of civilian areas—has so far refused to surrender its weapons but is reportedly considering reducing its arsenal…”