Hezbollah Leader Calls US and Israeli Election Results a Victory for Iran's Allies
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem portrayed the US and Israeli election results as a setback for Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, while renewing his refusal to disarm before Israeli forces leave Lebanon.
Speaking by video on Wednesday for Hezbollah's annual Martyrs' Day commemoration, Qassem described the Republican losses in the US midterms as an opportunity for opponents of Washington in the region. AFP reported that he also celebrated the outcome of Israel's election, after President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with trying to form a government.
Qassem Claims a Political Opening
The head of the Iran backed terrorist organization linked the two election results to the position of Tehran and its regional allies. His argument was that political setbacks for leaders confronting Iran, Hezbollah and other armed groups could work in their favor.
The Israeli vote left Netanyahu's bloc short of a parliamentary majority, while Eisenkot's mandate opened a new round of negotiations over who can assemble a government.
Hezbollah Refuses to Surrender Its Weapons
Qassem again tied any surrender of Hezbollah's arsenal to an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Lebanese coverage of the speech recorded his rejection of demands to bring the group's weapons under state control while Israeli forces remain on Lebanese territory. He also attacked the framework negotiated by the Lebanese authorities with Israel.
That position runs against the disarmament process supported by the Group of Seven. In their declaration following meetings in Paris on 9 and 10 November, the foreign ministers called for all weapons to come under Lebanese state authority, specifically identifying Hezbollah among the groups that must disarm. They also backed Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Israel Focuses on Weapons and Another Front
For Israel, the immediate security issue is Hezbollah's ability to launch attacks from Lebanon. In a statement dated 2 November, the IDF said troops from the 769th Brigade, operating under the 91st Division, had dismantled an explosive drone storage site near Al-Khiam. The military also listed rockets, rifles and ammunition among the weapons recovered.
The IDF said its operations aimed to remove threats to Israeli civilians and troops and reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire. Separately, Kan reported that Israel had sent a message through American mediators seeking Lebanese army deployments and checkpoints in areas where Hezbollah operatives are present. Israel National News carried that account on 3 November, linking the request to concern about another front if fighting with Iran resumes.
A Security Framework Faces a Deadline
The G7 declaration called for progress in pilot areas where verified Hezbollah disarmament would accompany Israeli redeployment as Lebanese troops move in. It also supported implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, the longstanding framework for security arrangements in southern Lebanon.
The European Union describes that framework as requiring a cessation of hostilities and a southern area in which only the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers are deployed between the border and the Litani River.
The mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is due to expire on 31 December 2026. The G7 ministers called for a durable security arrangement to support the Lebanese armed forces after the mission's departure, and welcomed the European Union's support mission in Lebanon.
