Hezbollah Rejects Arms Handover Amid Israeli Strikes, Lebanon Debates Monopoly

Hezbollah has strongly opposed Lebanon's cabinet decision to establish a state monopoly on arms, calling it a grave sin influenced by U.S. directives that primarily benefits Israel. The group, led by Sheikh Naim Qassem, has rejected calls to disarm and refuses to commit to any timetable for handing over its weapons while Israeli strikes continue. Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah cannot surrender its strength while Israel retains military advantages and criticized U.S. proposals as dictatorial and detrimental to Lebanon's defense capabilities. Despite emerging weakened from over a year of conflict with Israel, Hezbollah remains defiant, threatening renewed war if Israel launches large-scale aggression. The Lebanese government, under President Joseph Aoun, seeks to consolidate arms under state control, a move Hezbollah has resisted for decades. Meanwhile, Washington pressures Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah in exchange for halting Israeli strikes and rebuilding war-damaged regions, but progress remains stalled amid ongoing tensions.