BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- 
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri firmly rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to disarm Hezbollah, declaring that Lebanon would not relinquish its weapons “under threats or by violating the constitution.” 
In a televised address, Berri emphasized that any discussion regarding Hezbollah’s arsenal must occur within a “calm, consensual framework” grounded in Lebanon’s constitution, ministerial statements, and international law.
Berri dismissed foreign pressure to force unilateral concessions, warning such moves undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty. 
He highlighted Lebanon’s compliance with its obligations under the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, slamming Israel for expanding its occupation, carrying out assassinations, and preventing the return of residents to more than 30 towns and villages.
The speaker also opposed proposals to task the Lebanese Army with disarming Hezbollah, describing the army as the nation’s “shield and fortress” that should remain above political disputes. He warned that assigning disarmament responsibilities to the army could threaten its unity and destabilize the country.
The rejection came amid escalating Israeli military aggression in southern Lebanon. On Sunday, an Israeli drone strike killed a Lebanese civilian in Nabatieh district, targeting a motorcycle on a main road, according to the state news agency NNA. 
The attack was part of a series of Israeli airstrikes across several southern Lebanese towns, including Ali al-Taher and Kfar Tebnit, which caused fires and damaged homes.
These strikes violate the ceasefire agreement brokered in November 2024, which aimed to halt more than a year of fighting that left over 4,000 dead and 17,000 wounded. 
Israel has conducted near-daily raids in southern Lebanon. Under the truce, Israel was required to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was extended to February 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israeli forces continue to occupy five border outposts.
The U.S. delegation visiting Beirut this week—including senior senators and special envoys—pressed for Lebanon to restrict weapons possession to the state. Despite this, Berri insisted Lebanon would not accept “imposed surrender” and that dialogue must precede any decisions on Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Veteran Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt criticized the U.S. initiative as an “Israeli diktat” aimed at forcing Lebanon into surrender. Jumblatt urged Israeli withdrawal to proceed before any disarmament process, warning that large segments of the Lebanese community reject disarmament without such guarantees.
Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem has maintained that the group’s weapons are “the soul of its supporters” and stressed the resistance will not disarm. 
Since 1982, Hezbollah has resisted numerous Israeli incursions and continues to cite Israeli occupation of Shebaa Farms as justification for its armed status.
In recent months, Lebanon’s government approved U.S.-backed disarmament objectives and announced plans for the military to bring all weapons under state control by the end of 2025, sparking widespread protests. 
Protesters view Hezbollah’s military strength as essential to Lebanon’s sovereignty and security. Hezbollah warns that forced disarmament risks further Israeli aggression and instability.