Hezbollah: Will Not Fight Lebanese Army, Arms Linked to End of “Israeli” Occupation

By Staff, Agencies

A senior Hezbollah official has said the movement will not be drawn into a confrontation with the Lebanese Army and will not allow internal discord, warning that efforts to provoke division within Lebanon are bound to fail.

Speaking during Friday prayers at the Sayyeda Zainab Mosque in Beirut’s southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, Sheikh Ali Damoush, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, dismissed claims linking the Lebanese Army’s deployment south of the Litani River to a halt in “Israeli” attacks or a withdrawal from occupied areas. He said that while the army has advanced in what is described as the “first phase” of its operations, “Israeli” aggression has continued and no pullback has taken place.

Sheikh Damoush said “Israeli” forces have intensified their attacks, showing what he described as disregard for measures taken by the Lebanese Army. He criticized Lebanese authorities for treating their commitments under the ceasefire separately from those expected of “Israel,” arguing that this has created the impression that Lebanon is complying unilaterally.

He stressed that arrangements for areas south of the Litani River are reciprocal and said the first phase cannot be considered complete unless “Israel” withdraws from occupied Lebanese territory, halts its attacks, allows displaced residents to return, and enables reconstruction. According to Damoush, sovereignty cannot be achieved through military deployment alone as long as occupation and violations of Lebanon’s land, sea, and airspace persist.

The Hezbollah official also warned against what he described as a pattern of concessions made despite ongoing aggression, accusing both “Israeli” and American sides of ignoring Lebanese measures. He said calls to move toward a so-called second phase should instead focus on pressuring “Israel” to meet its obligations and on pushing the United States to end its actions, rather than yielding to external demands.

Damoush argued that continued military strikes, assassinations, political pressure, economic constraints, and internal provocations are intended to push Lebanon and its army into a confrontation with the resistance, with the aim of forcing Hezbollah to retreat or surrender. He said such efforts, driven by Americans, “Israelis” and their allies in Lebanon, would not succeed.

He reiterated that Hezbollah would neither fight the Lebanese Army nor instigate internal conflict, adding that attempts to pressure the state, the military, or society into confronting the group reflect a strategy that is failing.

On December 18, representatives from France, Saudi Arabia and the United States met in Paris with the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces to discuss a roadmap aimed at creating a framework for disarming Hezbollah. The group has repeatedly said it will not relinquish its weapons as long as “Israel” continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and carry out attacks in the area.