Hezbollah warns Lebanese government against complying with Israeli disarmament demands

Hezbollah has issued a forceful warning to the Lebanese government, urging it to reject Israeli demands to disarm the group and to focus instead on securing a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied border areas. In a statement released Wednesday by its parliamentary bloc, the Iran-backed movement framed Israel's disarmament ultimatum as a trap designed to "humiliate" Lebanon's army and violate its sovereignty, setting the stage for a potential crisis as a key deadline approaches.

A Clash Over Ceasefire Obligations and National Priorities

The political statement directly challenges the core condition set by Tel Aviv for lasting calm. Israel has stated it will halt attacks only if the Lebanese government implements a plan to disarm Hezbollah by December 31—a deadline now just days away. Hezbollah rejected this outright, arguing the "national priority" is to compel Israel to fulfill its own obligation under the November 27 ceasefire: a complete military withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The group accused Israel of maintaining a presence at five border outposts in violation of the agreement and called for pressure on Israel to abide by the deal "without delay or conditions."

Asserting a "Legitimate Right" to Resist Continued Occupation

Hezbollah's statement invoked the principle of armed resistance as a justified response to ongoing occupation. "The Lebanese people have the right to resist the occupation if it continues, and this is a legitimate right that needs no further validation," the bloc declared. This rhetoric serves both as a warning to Israel and a directive to the government in Beirut, which Hezbollah urged to "act decisively and avoid slipping into implementing conditions imposed by the enemy." The message positions Hezbollah not as a rogue militia but as a national resistance movement defending Lebanese territory, a narrative central to its political identity.

The Precarious Status Quo and Risk of Renewed Conflict

The exchange underscores the fragility of the ceasefire that ended over a year of intense cross-border fighting linked to the Gaza war—a conflict that left more than 4,000 dead and 17,000 injured in Lebanon. With Israel's withdrawal incomplete and its disarmament demand unmet, the foundation for peace remains unstable. Hezbollah's public call for government defiance signals it will not voluntarily relinquish its weapons, viewing them as essential leverage against Israel. As the year-end deadline looms, the Lebanese state faces an impossible dilemma: accede to Israeli pressure and risk internal collapse or side with Hezbollah's defiance and risk a devastating military escalation, with the government's authority hanging in the balance.