'Will not surrender': Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem tells supporters; dismisses Israeli threats
Hezbollah
leader Naim Qassem declared on Sunday that the group will not surrender or lay down its arms in response to Israeli threats.
Addressing thousands of supporters during the Ashura commemoration in Beirut's southern suburbs, Qassem said, 'This threat will not make us accept surrender.'
Qassem, who succeeded the late Hassan Nasrallah after he was killed by Israel last September, stated that Hezbollah fighters will retain their weapons until Israel ends what he called its 'aggression.'
His comments come amid ongoing pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. Lebanese officials have said they are working to dismantle the group's military positions in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border.
A
ceasefire
agreed upon last November required Hezbollah to move its fighters north of the Litani River, while Israel was to withdraw troops from Lebanese territory. However, Israel has maintained its presence at five strategic points. Despite the truce, Israeli airstrikes have continued in Lebanon, citing Hezbollah targets and accusing Beirut of failing to act.
Qassem said Israel must meet its obligations under the ceasefire—withdraw from Lebanese land, halt its attacks, release prisoners from last year's conflict, and support Lebanon's reconstruction—before any national security discussions can take place.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
He also rejected talk of normalising ties after an Israeli official floated the idea.
On Monday, US envoy Tom Barrack is expected to visit Beirut.
During the Ashura procession, Hezbollah supporters marched in black through the capital's southern districts, waving Hezbollah, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Iranian flags. Many held posters of the slain leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Lebanon's government has remained silent on the suggestion of normalisation. Syria, which was also mentioned by Israel's foreign minister, said it was 'premature' to discuss such a step.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Reductive perspective': Indian-origin woman who slammed Zohran Mamdani's glorification now calls Mira Nair 'Hinduphobic'
An Indian-origin New Yorker, a critic of Mamdani, said his mother Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. An Indian-origin Hindu woman, Indu Viswanathan, who found New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani 's glorification after his surprising primary win nauseating, said Mamdani's mother Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. Viswanathan said in Nair's movies, the Hindu characters are riddled with prejudice and there is no exploration of Hindu identity or society in a complex or humanized way. "If she's not flattening Hindu characters and the richness of Hindu philosophy, she's erasing Hindu perspectives and voices entirely. When she speaks publicly, she reflects the same reductive perspectives on Hindus and Hinduism," she wrote. "Hindu characters in her films often play roles of gatekeepers of patriarchy, bigotry, or repression, while liberation is shown through Western ideals or rejection of Hindu norms. Her films rarely feature devout or joyful Hindu spiritual life, nor showcase the diversity or depth of Hindu theology," the post read. Earlier, Vishwanathan accused Mamdani of distorting facts, manipulating identity politics and cited his statement that there are no more Muslims left in Gujarat, as an example. "Mamdani's lie isn't accidental or something that can be dismissed. It is central to the larger fabrication of his own victimhood status in the world," she said adding that there are over 7 million Muslims in Gujarat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40분 후, 영어가 다르게 보일 겁니다. 직접 확인해보세요 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo "And if he's willing to erase 7 million members of his own community of Gujarati Muslims for political expediency in New York, what does that mean for 200,000 Hindus living in New York? What does it mean for the 5 million Jews living here? Shouldn't we all be concerned when a public figure casually erases entire communities to score rhetorical points?" she wrote. Since the election and after Andrew Cuomo conceded the election to Mamdani, Mamdani has been at the center of many racial, political attacks. Republicans called for deporting him as he became a US citizen only in 2018. Mamdani also drew flak for identifying himself as Black in the application form of Columbia University, where he didn't get the chance to study.
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
US trade threat: Donald Trump warns Brics nations of 10% tariff hike; bloc slams US trade policies
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose an additional 10% import tariff on China, India, and other Brics nations after the 11-member grouping criticised his trade policies during their summit in Brazil. 'Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of Brics, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,' Trump said in a post on social media. His remarks came after Brics leaders denounced the US tariff regime as 'indiscriminate', 'damaging', and 'illegal' in their joint statement on Sunday. The Brics bloc — which includes China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia — accounts for nearly half the world's population and about 40% of global economic output. Once envisioned as a forum for fast-growing emerging markets, the expanded Brics now brings together both US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, and Washington's allies, including Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. While some US-aligned members sought to moderate the criticism by avoiding Trump's name in the joint declaration, it did little to placate the White House. Saudi Arabia, a key buyer of US weapons, went so far as to withdraw its foreign minister from Sunday's session and the official Brics 'family photo', AFP reported. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Tariff pressure mounts ahead of August 1 Trump's renewed tariff threat comes ahead of an August 1 deadline, by which the administration has demanded new trade deals from global partners or face sweeping unilateral duties. The Brics nations now appear likely to be targeted for steeper penalties. The latest backlash also follows a Brics statement condemning US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure — a move seen as bolstering member state Iran amid rising Middle East tensions. China defends Brics stance China rejected accusations that the Brics platform was hostile to the United States. 'China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners, and protectionism offers no way forward,' said foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in a briefing on Monday. 'Brics is not targeted at any country,' Mao added, calling the bloc an 'important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries.' The summit's momentum appeared weakened by the absence of key leaders. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has never missed a Brics summit in 12 years, skipped this year's event. Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court over the Ukraine war, joined via video link. Despite the diplomatic strain, Putin told Brics counterparts the group has become a 'key player in global governance', underlining its growing geopolitical weight. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
US envoy says satisfied with Lebanese response on disarming of Hezbollah
Beirut: US envoy Thomas Barrack said Monday he was satisfied by the response of Lebanon's authorities to a request to disarm Hezbollah, warning Lebanon risked being left behind as change sweeps other countries in the region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms, while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire. Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and warned it will continue to do so until Hezbollah has been disarmed, while the movement's leader Naim Qassem said Sunday his group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats. "I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response," Barrack, Washington's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, told a press conference after meeting President Joseph Aoun. "It's thoughtful, it's considered. We're creating a go-forward plan," he said. "Now what it takes is a... thrust to the details, which we're going to do. We're both committed to get to the details and get a resolution," he said, adding: "I'm very, very hopeful." Last month, Barrack asked Lebanese leaders to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah, the only group that retained its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of "resistance" against Israel which occupied southern Lebanon at the time. Hezbollah was heavily weakened in the latest conflict, with Israel battering the group's arsenal of missiles and rockets and killing senior commanders including longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now - 'Future for them' - The presidency said on X that Aoun handed Barrack "ideas for a comprehensive solution". Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, said his own meeting with Barrack was constructive and "considered Lebanon's interest and sovereignty... and the demands of Hezbollah", according to a statement. Barrack said that Hezbollah "needs to see that there's a future for them, that that road is not harnessed just solely against them." He warned that "the rest of the region is moving at Mach speed, and you will be left behind", adding that "dialogue has started between Syria and Israel, just as the dialogue needs to be reinvented by Lebanon." On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, nearly seven months after Islamists ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, a Hezbollah ally who was also backed by Iran. Syria has also admitted to holding indirect talks with Israel to reduce tensions. A Lebanese official told AFP on condition of anonymity that late last week, Beirut submitted an initial response to Washington, which requested modifications, then officials worked through the weekend to develop the final version. - Strikes - Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli frontier. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five areas that it deemed strategic. The truce was based on a United Nations Security Council resolution that says only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should bear arms in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups. Lebanese authorities say they have been dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south near the Israeli border. Late Sunday, the Israeli military said raids in south and east Lebanon targeted Hezbollah military sites and weapons systems. Lebanon's health ministry said Monday those strikes wounded 10 people in the country's south. Hezbollah's Qassem said Sunday that Israel needed to abide by the ceasefire agreement, "withdraw from the occupied territories, stop its aggression... release the prisoners" detained during last year's war, and that reconstruction in Lebanon must begin. Only then "will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss the national security and defence strategy" which includes the issue of the group's disarmament, he added.
