BEIRUT, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday condemned what he called the "underlying threat of civil war" made by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem over the government's decision to disarm the group.

In a video posted on his account on the social media platform X, Salam said Qassem's speech "contained a veiled threat of civil war," stressing that "threats and intimidation of civil war are completely unacceptable."

He also rejected claims that the Lebanese government is carrying out "an American-Israeli project" as unfounded, saying, "Our decisions are purely Lebanese, made within our Council of Ministers, and no one imposes them on us."

Earlier Friday, Qassem said Hezbollah would not relinquish its weapons and was prepared to go to war if necessary, in response to what it describes as ongoing Israeli aggression and occupation.

"We will not hand over our weapons while the aggression continues and the occupation remains," Qassem said, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

The remarks came amid escalating political tensions following a government decision earlier this month to bring all weapons under state control. Qassem warned that such a move "facilitates the killing of resistance fighters and their families" and accused the government of serving Israeli and American objectives. Enditem