Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday accused Israel and the United States of launching what he described as “a coordinated military, political, and economic offensive against Lebanon."
Speaking in a speech broadcast on Hwvollah’s Al-Manar TV, Qassem described the Israeli-American alliance as Lebanon's central threat, stating that the country’s issues could not be solved through diplomatic words but by relying on "strength, resistance, and unity."
Qassem accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, infrastructure, agriculture, and reconstruction efforts in Lebanon to instill fear, create instability, and sow internal divisions. He also claimed that after Israel’s “failure" on the battlefield, the United States shifted tactics from military support to applying political and economic pressure, including efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
As part of the US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the Hezbollah terrorist organization was required to disarm, beginning in areas south of the river that border Israel.
Lebanese authorities charged the Lebanese Armed Forces in August of last year to devise a plan ensuring a state monopoly on arms by year’s end.
Hezbollah, however, has condemned the Lebanese government's plan to disarm the terror organization and has repeatedly vowed to keep its arms.
As the group continues to gain strength, in violation of the ceasefire, Israel has struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.