Hezbollah has rejected a US proposal that it disarm as part of a new security initiative aimed at easing tensions between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking on Friday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed the group’s commitment to retaining its arsenal, framing it as essential to resisting Israeli expansionism.

“We will not surrender or give up to Israel; Israel will not take our weapons away from us,” Qassem said in a video address. He warned that Lebanon faces an existential threat that takes precedence over internal debates on disarmament.

The remarks come as a setback to US diplomat Thomas Barrack, who had pressed Lebanese leaders for a “go-forward plan” to integrate Hezbollah’s military capabilities under state control, part of efforts to secure a longer-term ceasefire with Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam acknowledged in a televised interview that Hezbollah’s arms played a key role in the liberation of South Lebanon in 2000. However, he stressed that arms must now be placed solely under Lebanese state authority to ensure stability.

Israel, meanwhile, continues to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire reached last November. Israeli forces maintain positions in five key areas of Lebanese territory deemed “strategic.” Hezbollah, significantly weakened after Israel assassinated its leader Hassan Nasrallah and several commanders last year, has pulled its fighters north of the Litani River but maintains readiness for future conflict.

Qassem’s defiant stance signals Hezbollah’s unwillingness to negotiate its disarmament under current threats. “We are proceeding, prepared and ready for a defensive confrontation,” he said.