Naim Qassem Says Hezbollah’s Negotiation Ceiling Is Reciprocal Security, Rejects Disarmament

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the “ceiling” of negotiations with Israel is “reciprocal security,” arguing that “there is no other ceiling” in a televised speech on Wednesday.

“Hezbollah says ‘ceiling’ of negotiations with Israel is ‘reciprocal security’ ‘Any project to disarm Hezbollah will not succeed, and this scheme has failed,’ Naim Qassem says Naim Berjawi 17 June 2026•Update: 17 June 2026 BEIRUT Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that "reciprocal security" is the "ceiling" of negotiations with Israel”

Anadolu Ajansı

Qassem tied the group’s position to halting Israeli assaults and calling for Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, the return of prisoners, the return of the displaced to their areas and reconstruction.

Anadolu Ajansı

He also said Hezbollah carried out 3,185 operations against Israel since March 2, with a daily average of 30 attacks, and he rejected any effort to disarm the group.

In the same address, Qassem accused Israel of seeking to eliminate Hezbollah “socially, militarily, and culturally,” and said Hezbollah “thwarted the Greater Israel project.”

Shafaq News reported that Qassem rejected any buffer or special security zones in southern Lebanon, saying, “There are no experimental zones, no safe zones for Israel, and no yellow, red or green areas … It will leave.”

In the same televised address, Qassem portrayed Tel Aviv as an “existential threat” to Lebanon and accused it of seeking to eliminate Hezbollah “militarily, culturally, politically, socially and popularly” as part of a plan to “erase a large segment of Lebanese society.”

Mehr News Agency

Shafaq News also said Qassem reaffirmed Hezbollah’s support for the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River in accordance with the ceasefire agreement reached on Nov. 27, 2024.

He maintained that any contacts should focus on “mutual security” and restoring Lebanese sovereignty rather than disarmament, while Anadolu Ajansı reported that tensions continued to flare along the Lebanese-Israeli border despite a recent understanding between Washington and Tehran.

Multiple outlets reported Qassem’s insistence that disarmament will not proceed, with TRT عربي quoting him saying, “the ceiling of negotiations with the Israeli enemy is mutual security, and there is no other ceiling.”

“Qasim said in a televised address on the occasion of Ashura, on Wednesday, that "the ceiling of negotiations with the Israeli enemy is mutual security, and there is no other ceiling”

TRT Arabi

TRT عربي said Qasim set five points for “mutual security” including “to stop aggression by air, land and sea,” “Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territory,” “the release of prisoners,” “the return of people to the last inch of Lebanon,” and “reconstruction.”

TRT عربي also said Qasim emphasized that the Lebanese army “is deployed south of the Litani River exclusively under this agreement,” while Anadolu Ajansı reported that Israel’s offensive on Lebanon has left “thousands killed and wounded and more than 1 million displaced.”

Anadolu Ajansı added that Israeli forces pushed more than 10 kilometers into Lebanon during the current campaign, and it said Israeli officials indicated military operations in Lebanon will continue despite the agreement, raising doubts about prospects for a de-escalation on the Lebanese front.