Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem argued that political setbacks for Republicans in the United States and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could help Lebanon resist U.S. demands to disarm the group.
Al Jazeera reported that Qassem delivered a video address Wednesday during Hezbollah’s annual Martyrs’ Day commemoration. He linked the election results to Lebanon’s sovereignty, calling the U.S. midterm elections an “earthquake” and describing Israel’s Oct. 27 vote as a defeat for Netanyahu. The outlet said Netanyahu’s bloc finished below the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
Qassem urged Lebanese officials to avoid commitments he said would serve Israel’s goals. He rejected placing Hezbollah’s weapons under state control or imposing restrictions while Israeli forces occupy parts of southern Lebanon. “There will be no state monopoly,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.
The remarks came amid a dispute between Hezbollah and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun over the group’s arsenal. Washington wants Hezbollah to disarm; the group has said giving up its weapons would amount to surrendering to Israel.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon continued after Israel and Lebanon reached a U.S.-mediated cease-fire in June. EconoTimes previously reported that no date had been set for a full Israeli troop withdrawal.
Qassem also pointed to higher global oil prices and suspended shipping after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, saying the effects would weaken U.S. and Israeli influence. Al Jazeera reported that President Donald Trump linked Republican losses to the Iran war and rising fuel prices, while Vice President JD Vance said the war was the reason for the losses.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people. The United Nations says around one million people have been displaced.
