ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said Sunday that efforts to disarm the group would amount to Lebanon’s “annihilation,” adding that he hopes the US and Iran will reach an agreement that entails the “full cessation of hostilities,” including in Lebanon.

Speaking during a televised address marking the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, Qassem said disarmament would strip Lebanon of its ability to defend itself and accused Israel of seeking to gradually occupy Lebanese territory.

“Disarming means removing Lebanon’s defensive power in preparation for annihilation, and this is something we cannot accept,” Qassem said, coming amid a strong US push for Beirut to act on its commitment to disempower the pro-Iran group and strip it of its weapons.

Qassem linked Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm to ongoing hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border and a ceasefire arrangement reached after months of fighting.

“The weapons will remain in our hands until the Lebanese state is capable of carrying out its duties,” he said, adding that Hezbollah would confront anyone who targeted the group “just as we confront Israel.”

He said the Lebanese state reached an indirect agreement on November 24, 2024, that was supposed to end the occupation and halt Israeli attacks, but claimed that hostilities continued in the months that followed while Lebanese authorities were unable to enforce the deal.

“We appreciate the weakness of the Lebanese state, but it must tell the Americans it is incapable,” he said.

His remarks come as Lebanon and Israel recently agreed to extend their ceasefire for another 45 days following US-mediated talks in Washington in mid-May, though Israeli strikes on Hezbollah continue on a near-daily basis all the while.

Iran has long pushed for Lebanon to be included in any prospective peace deal with the US, coming as US President Donald Trump signals that an enduring agreement may be close.

"God willing, this agreement will be finalised and there are signs of its completion, and accordingly that we too will be among those included in this agreement -- an agreement of a full cessation of hostilities," Qassem said on the matter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Trump, during a phone call the night prior, "reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon," effectively endorsing the continuation of Israeli strikes.

Qassem claimed Israeli forces had suffered “real losses” in southern Lebanon and said Hezbollah drones would continue targeting Israeli soldiers. He accused Israel of responding by attacking civilians and residential areas.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, 3,151 people have been killed and 9,571 wounded in the country since clashes between Hezbollah and Israel reignited in earnest on March 2 amid the then-raging US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.