Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem, Jan. 27, 2025. (Screenshot from speech on Al-Manar)
The secretary-general of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, stated Monday that in the face of Israeli violations of the cease-fire agreement, Lebanon "needs resistance" to confront Israel, while reserving the right to determine the appropriate response "in terms of form, nature, and timing."
In a pre-recorded speech broadcast on the Shiite party's channel Al-Manar, Qassem assured that the "resistance" led by his group emerged "victorious" from the war with Israel. "Yes, we are victorious because we were able to reclaim this land, and because the occupier must withdraw thanks to our resistance," he said, emphasizing that "the resistors have not left the field, the resistance is firm and strong." "Violations of the cease-fire agreement by Israel show that the country needs resistance," he insisted.
The Hezbollah leader emphasized that "the resistance is victorious thanks to its faith, its will and the cease-fire. It is victorious because the enemy did not succeed in eliminating it. It is victorious thanks to the people who moved to the border villages." According to him, "the triptych 'army, people and resistance' [of Hezbollah] prevented Israel from reaching Beirut and the south of the Litani."
Under the agreement that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah on Nov. 27, the Israeli army was supposed to have completed its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by Sunday, leaving only the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers to deploy in the region. However, Israel announced on Friday the operation would continue beyond that date, arguing the agreement had not been fully implemented by Lebanon. The United States announced Sunday night that the cease-fire agreement in Lebanon would be extended until Feb. 18.
Despite this, the Hezbollah leader maintained that "Israel must withdraw after 60 days, and we will not accept any justification for extending it by a single day or lengthening the term." "We are facing an occupation that aggresses and refuses to withdraw, and the resistance has the right to act as it deems appropriate in terms of form, nature and timing of the confrontation," Qassem threatened.
'An opportunity for the state'
"We do not accept extending the duration of the cease-fire ... We are sure that President [Joseph] Aoun will not accept Israel gaining anything. Neither Nabih Berri nor Najib Mikati could accept the extension [of the cease-fire]. Any delay in withdrawal must be assumed by the U.N., the United States and France," he stressed.
Qassem denounced the multiple cease-fire violations committed by Israel. "With the cease-fire, we are entering a new phase. We are determined to respect the agreement, while Israel has already violated it approximately 1,350 times. At one point, we considered responding, but we were advised to be patient," he noted. "The aggressor asked for the cessation of its aggression under certain conditions, and we agreed because we did not want the war in the first place and did not decide to start it."
"We accepted the cease-fire agreement because the state decided to protect its borders and expel Israel," he added, claiming that "it is an opportunity for the state to fulfill its duties and test its capability on a political level." "We have respected this commitment and preferred patience and not responding to Israeli violations despite feelings of humiliation and acts of retaliation," he further stated.
"The resistance in Lebanon, in all its components, opposed with legendary stability, exceptional courage, and sacrificial commitment that proved its effectiveness on the ground," assessed Qassem. "Faced with this deadlock, Israel requested a cease-fire through the United States, and we accepted this request in coordination with the Lebanese state, which constitutes a victory."
'Everything is going well'
Reflecting on recent political developments on the internal scene, the Hezbollah leader mentioned the election of Aoun to lead the state and the issue of forming the government in Lebanon. The opportunity for him to claim that without the Amal movement and Hezbollah, "the election of the president would not have happened this way." "This reflects national unity," he added. "We acted wisely because we want a country, a government, and we cooperated with the designated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The complications of forming the government are not our responsibility." "Everyone wants their slice of the cake," he maintained. "Everything is going well between us, the president, and the head of government. There are no obstacles."
The process triggered in the wake of the election, on Jan. 9, of General Joseph Aoun to the Lebanese presidency after more than two years of vacancy, and then the appointment of former International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister, the formation of a new government seems delayed, mainly due to the pressure exerted by the Shiite tandem Amal-Hezbollah to obtain certain key ministries.
During his speech, Qassem also paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammad Hamadeh, killed last week in Mashghara. Born in 1963, the sheikh had been responsible since 1992 for Hezbollah's office in Western Bekaa. "Treacherous hands assassinated Sheikh Mohammad Hamadeh, and investigations are still ongoing, but eyes are turned towards the Zionists," he said.
'This is a victory'
The Hezbollah leader in his speech also reflected on the military superiority of Israel and its elimination of several party leaders, including Hezbollah's leader for several decades, Hassan Nasrallah. "Our public did not think we would lose so many leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah," recognized Qassem, assuring that Israeli intelligence and technology gave it an advantage. "We are conducting an investigation today to take the necessary measures. The resistance cannot be stronger militarily; its strength lies in its faith, its youth, its women and its sacrifices," he declared.
According to him, "the aggression in Lebanon took place with American and Western support." "Israel has more military force [than Hezbollah], but we are stronger regarding our rights and our capacity to face all hardships. Mark my words, this is a victory," he continued.
"The resistance has shown exceptional courage and a willingness for martyrdom on the field. Everyone saw that the heroes of resistance were on the field ... There was an Israeli plan to eliminate Hezbollah, but we came back with strength," he added. 'The displaced were united and supported the fighters on the front ... The Lebanese Army made sacrifices ... Let's not forget the support of Iran and the Iranian and Iraqi people. The Israeli enemy could not advance or sow discord among different sects in Lebanon."
Discussing the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Qassem paid tribute to the Palestinians of the enclave for the cease-fire and to Iran for "their support." He thanked Yemen and Iraq, as well as Lebanon, which "offered Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to support Gaza." "The Palestinian cause has come back to the forefront. The Israeli attempt to destroy Hamas and the resistance has failed," he said.
"The victory of Gaza is a victory for the Palestinian people and for all the people of the region who supported them, as well as for all the free people of the world who brought their support. We congratulate the martyr Palestinian people and their resistance for achieving the cease-fire. We congratulate our partners in victory in the Islamic Republic, in Yemen, and in Lebanon," he further stated. "Israel appeared as a war criminal and could only recover its prisoners in coordination with the Palestinian resistance [Hamas]," affirmed the Hezbollah leader.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
