Al-Khatib argued that those calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament "do not want a Lebanese state," but are instead willing to provoke a civil war that would come at a heavy cost to the Lebanese people, instead of confronting foreign aggression. 

He stated that as long as the factors that originally led the people of southern Lebanon to take up arms persist—and the Lebanese state fails to defend the country and liberate occupied land—the weapons remain justified. He added that even if leaders like himself were to call on people to surrender their arms, they would not comply, emphasizing that the decision ultimately lies with the people, not their leaders.

Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib: "As long as the Israeli enemy does not withdraw from south Lebanon, as long as the people there, who have been targeted by Israeli attacks for a long time, do not feel safe, as long as the reasons that made them bear arms to defend themselves still exist, and as long as the state does not fulfill its duty of fending off the enemy and liberating the land, the justification [to keep] these weapons exists.