BEIRUT - Hezbollah Leader Naim Qassem warned Tuesday that any new Israeli war on Lebanon would be met with rocket fire, asserting the group's readiness to retaliate and defend the country.
Speaking at a memorial in Beirut's southern suburb, Qassem declared, "If Israel wages a new war on Lebanon, rockets will fall upon it. We can confront and defeat Israel."
He accused Israel of backtracking on past agreements, especially after developments in Syria, and criticized US efforts to weaken Lebanon in favor of Israeli interests.
Since Nov 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and France has been in effect between Hezbollah and Israel, putting an end to clashes that had erupted in the wake of the war in Gaza.
Despite the agreement, the Israeli army occasionally carries out strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are meant to eliminate "threats" posed by Hezbollah.
Qassem called for national unity based on cooperation, prioritizing domestic needs over foreign demands, and resisting external interference. He rejected calls to disarm Hezbollah.
He urged the Lebanese government to strengthen sovereignty by incorporating resistance into national defense plans, warning that any Israeli escalation would face widespread retaliation.
Qassem also condemned what he called systematic Israeli and US-led crimes against Palestinians, vowing continued resistance. "Lebanon's strength cannot be stripped away," he said.
Hezbollah member killed
Also on Tuesday, Hezbollah said one of its members was killed by an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the village of Brital, eastern Lebanon.
A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that the dead was a Hezbollah military operative named Houssam Ghrayyeb.
In a separate development, local TV channel Al-Jadeed reported that the Lebanese cabinet on Tuesday tasked the army with drafting a plan to disarm Hezbollah and ensure that all weapons are under the sole authority of the state by the end of the year.
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The army was asked to submit the plan to the cabinet by the end of August, it reported, adding that a follow-up cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday to continue discussions on the issue.
Israeli army fortifies 5 positions
Meanwhile, the Israeli army has begun fortifying five key military positions it continues to occupy along the southern Lebanon border, according to a Lebanese security source and eyewitnesses.
"Several Israeli military work crews, including bulldozers and excavators, are carrying out fortification and reinforcement operations at these five sites under the protection of Merkava tanks and with intensive drone surveillance," a Lebanese security source told Xinhua on Tuesday.
The construction activities reportedly include raising earthen berms, installing concrete barriers, building shelters for military vehicles, setting up monitoring systems, and surrounding the areas with barbed wire.
Eyewitnesses from the border villages told Xinhua that the Israeli construction efforts are "clearly visible".
Last weekend, the Israeli army established a new observation point on Al-Hamamis Hill -- one of the five positions located in the eastern sector of the southern Lebanese border area, according to another Lebanese security source.
Military sources explained that the five positions held by Israeli army are located on dominant hills, "with a commanding view for both observation and firepower".
