BEIRUT - Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reaffirmed on Wednesday that the Lebanese group will not give up its weapons, citing a "real and strategic threat" from Israel.

Speaking during an Ashura Council event in Beirut's southern suburb, Qassem said, "Our weapons are for confronting Israel, and we will never give up this right."

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Qassem's remarks, which were broadcast by al-Manar TV channel, come amid calls for Lebanon to assert greater state control over all armed groups within its territory.

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Hezbollah has insisted that its weapons are essential for defending Lebanon against potential Israeli aggression. "Israel is a real and strategic threat -- not only to Palestine and Lebanon, but to the entire region," Qassem said in his speech. "We are a resistance party. Our duty is to resist and confront."

Qassem also dismissed any foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, noting, "Issues such as the weapons are internal matters to be addressed among Lebanese. Israel has no right to intervene, supervise, or monitor our national dialogue."