Hezbollah rules out disarmament until full Israeli withdrawal

Shafaq News/ Hezbollah disarmament is off the table unless
Israel fully withdraws from southern Lebanon and halts its ongoing violations
of the ceasefire agreement, a Hezbollah official announced on Friday.

The Head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit Wafiq
Safa told Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Nour Radio, “What President Joseph Aoun
referred to is the defensive strategy,” explaining that the aim is to agree on
a national defense strategy to protect Lebanon, not leading Hezbollah to
surrender its weapons.

Both the Lebanese army and Hezbollah are abiding by the
ceasefire agreement, particularly the dismantling of military infrastructure
and the seizure of Hezbollah arms south of the Litani River, he confirmed,
adding, “What is required of Hezbollah under UN Resolution 1701 has been
fulfilled.”

Regarding weapons found by the army he revealed that they are
either remnants of Israeli strikes or effectively unusable.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP earlier this month that
around 265 Hezbollah military sites were identified south of the Litani, of
which approximately 190 have been handed over to the Lebanese army.

The Beirut government faces mounting US pressure to
dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure following its recent war with
Israel, which inflicted major losses on the group’s leadership and armed
capabilities.

While the agreement also required Israel to fully withdraw
from Lebanese territory it occupied during the conflict, Israeli forces have
maintained positions in five strategic hilltops, citing security concerns and
continued cross-border threats.