Hezbollah leader maintains refusal to disarm until Israel leaves southern Lebanon, ends airstrikes

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said on Sunday the terrorist group refuses to disarm until Israel withdraws its troops from southern Lebanon and ends airstrikes.

“How can you expect us not to stand firm while the Israeli enemy continues its aggression, continues to occupy the five points, and continues to enter our territories and kill?” Kassem said, according to the Associated Press. “We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation in Lebanon and the region. We will not accept normalization (with Israel).”

His video address was delivered while thousands of people gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs for the Shiite holy day of Ashoura, which commemorates the 680 AD Battle of Karbala, the AP reported.

In that battle, Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, was killed after he declined to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. 

Israeli strikes have killed most of Hezbollah’s top leaders, such as Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, according to the AP.

Tom Barrack, U.S. envoy to Lebanon, is expected to soon visit Beirut to discuss a peace plan.