The leader of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah raised the possibility of a violent protest in response to the government's disarmament policy, prompting a strong warning from the Lebanese prime minister.
On the 15th (local time), according to Lebanon's state-owned National News Agency (NNA), Hezbollah Secretary-General Naeem Qassem claimed in a video speech that "the government is following the orders of the United States and Israel to 'end resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal conflict'" and stated that "if they fight against us and try to eliminate us, Lebanon will not survive."
He warned that as long as Israel's invasion and occupation continue, the resistance forces will not lay down their arms, stating that "we will take actions to advocate for justice and prove our existence through protests sweeping Lebanon and heading towards the U.S. embassy."
In response, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized on X (formerly Twitter) that "Qassem's remarks contain threats of civil war" and said, "We will not tolerate any threats and intimidation." He also rebutted that the claim that the Lebanese government is carrying out the plans of the United States and Israel is unfounded.
This conflict is based on the decision of the Lebanese government to accept the disarmament plan proposed by the United States, which has been strongly opposed by Hezbollah and Iran.