Hezbollah supporters gathered in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Nov. 11, 2023 for a speech by party leader Hassan Nasrallah. (Credit: Joao Sousa/L'Orient Today)
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah delivered his second speech since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Saturday during a commemoration for the party’s martyrs.
Below are the main statements from his address.
On the Lebanese front
• “There are dissenting voices in Lebanon, but these voices are limited.”
• “In recent days, we have witnessed a series of threats from Netanyahu, Gallant and Gantz. We will continue on this path. Every day, we conduct our assessments. Our front will remain a front of pressure.”
• “Without a doubt, last week saw an improvement in operations, both qualitatively and in terms of the number of operations and the quality of the missiles we use, notably the Burkan missile carrying a payload between 300 kg and 500 kg. Imagine half a ton of explosives falling on the enemy's head.”
• "After my speech last Friday, daily military operations continued despite all preventive measures taken by the enemy. The Resistance persists. Despite the enemy's armed drones. This is a new factor, but it does not prevent the continuation of operations."
On the United States
• “To the Americans, I say: If you want the secondary fronts to stop, you must cease the aggression on Gaza.”
• “The Americans asked states to pressure our brothers in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. The US Ambassador to Lebanon said the US is not exerting pressure in Lebanon. She is either ignorant or lying.”
• "Undoubtedly, the ongoing operations [in Iraq] contribute to liberating Iraq and Syria from American occupation, but the immediate goal is to secure a halt to the aggression against Gaza."
Nasrallah emphasized that Hezbollah was fighting "zionists" and not the US, contrarily to the fighters in Iraq who are confronting the US.
On Gaza
• “The failure to subdue the Gazan population, the failure in terms of public opinion, the fear of an expansion of fronts, direct and indirect economic pressure against this entity, the displaced [Israeli] population, the pressure from the families of the prisoners in Gaza — all these factors will ultimately lead to the defeat of the enemy. This pressure must continue.”
• “Time is necessary for Resistance movements. Time helps to inflict defeat on the occupiers.”
• “It's not me announcing a measure and then the brothers implement it. The brothers lead the action on the ground, and then we express our stance. The ground takes precedence.”
• “Our final goal is to totally destroy the enemy.”
• “The fights in Gaza are very difficult. Combatants lose their relatives and their homes. Despite this, they fight courageously. They face tanks, armored vehicles, soldiers. Today, the strongest Israeli battalions are fighting in Gaza and this shows Israel’s weakness.”
• "The most important thing at the moment is the change in world opinion regarding Israel, which is killing thousands of children and women. This transformation is in the interest of the Resistance, its project and the population of Gaza, especially through demonstrations in Washington, London, New York... Time is putting pressure on the enemy."
• "The operation on Oct. 7 is the most significant, largest and most glorious in the history of the Resistance and the struggle of this nation against the Zionist enemy.”
On the Arab League summit in Riyadh
• “Even if Gaza continues to fight, couldn't 57 states open a passage to deliver aid and treat the wounded? The world is waiting to take the necessary measures.”
• "The Arab and Islamic summit brings together 57 Arab and Islamic states. The people of the region and Palestine have their eyes on this summit. The Palestinians have spoken. They do not want this summit to send soldiers to break the blockade against Gaza. But they ask this summit for the minimum: That the Islamic and Arab world adopts a unified position to demand from the Americans to put an end to this offensive and these crimes and to take measures."
• "All pressure elements must target the American administration in the first place because it is the one holding the decision."
• “Today, Western leaders have joined calls for a ceasefire. Today, due to the aggression and massacres, and the bombings of hospitals, the world can no longer tolerate this. This will exert pressure on the Americans and the Israelis, making time an urgency. Those who can stop this aggression are the ones leading it. It is the Americans.”
On Iran
• “Iran provides military, financial and diplomatic support. This is no longer a secret for anyone. If the Resistance is strong in Lebanon, Palestine and the region, it is thanks to the material, military and financial support from Iran.”
On Syria
• “We cannot ask more of Syria if we have to be realistic. Syria has been undergoing a global war for 12 years and is suffocated by the Caesar Act, facing armed groups over hundreds of kilometers and being attacked by Daesh under American protection.”
• “Syria’s position is set and cannot be debated. Despite its difficult situation, it supports the resistance and suffers the consequences.”