(TJV NEWS) Hezbollah has once again refused demands to lay down its arms, instead calling for mass demonstrations against the Lebanese government’s moves to disarm the Iran-backed terror group, The Algemeiner reported.

In a televised address Monday, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem vowed the group would never surrender its arsenal. “We will not relinquish the weapon that protects us from our enemy,” Qassem declared. “Those who want to disarm us are like those who seek to take our soul from us, and then they will witness our might.”

According to The Algemeiner, Qassem linked any future dialogue on Lebanon’s national defense strategy to Israel’s full compliance with the November 27 U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Israeli officials responded that Jerusalem is prepared to support Beirut’s disarmament efforts and would gradually reduce its troop presence in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah complies.

But Qassem rejected the offer, saying, “The IDF may occupy, kill, and destroy, but we will confront it so that it does not settle.” He further accused the United States of destabilizing Lebanon through “sabotage and sedition,” while insisting Hezbollah’s so-called “resistance” was stronger than ever.

The Algemeiner noted that Hezbollah has urged supporters to take to the streets of Beirut this week, framing the protests as a defense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and a rejection of international pressure. “This stand is an affirmation of our right to preserve our arms … and our right to resist Israeli aggression and occupation,” the group said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun approved a U.S.-backed initiative under which Hezbollah would disarm within four months in exchange for Israel ending airstrikes and withdrawing its remaining troops. According to The Algemeiner, the plan follows last year’s devastating Israeli offensive that crippled Hezbollah’s leadership and military infrastructure after the group escalated hostilities in solidarity with Hamas.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued limited strikes against Hezbollah positions, accusing the militia of maintaining rocket launchers and other military infrastructure in violation of the agreement. Israeli leaders insist that these actions remain a threat to northern communities and justify their military presence in southern Lebanon.

As The Algemeiner reported, Hezbollah continues to cast its defiance in ideological terms. “Resistance is faith and will … it is pride and resilience,” Qassem said. “It is a reaction to aggression, confronting it and obstructing its objectives.”