Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Baabda, on Jan. 29, 2025. (Credit: X/@lebanesepresidency)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Sunday that "the joy of liberation will remain incomplete as long as all our lands are not liberated from Israeli occupation," on the occasion of the 25th commemoration of the Resistance and Liberation Day, marking the withdrawal in 2000 of Israeli forces from the border strip they occupied in southern Lebanon. Several other officials, notably Hezbollah affiliates, emphasized the importance of "resistance" to confront Israel.
He reiterated his government's commitment, "as outlined in the ministerial declaration ... to take all necessary measures to liberate all occupied Lebanese territories and to extend the state's sovereignty over all its lands, by its own means, in accordance with the Taif Agreement." He noted "Lebanon's right to self-defense in case of aggression, in accordance with the United Nations Charter" while mentioning "the reconstruction of what the Israeli aggression destroyed, by mobilizing Arab and international support to achieve this."
Despite the cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel reached in November 2024, which ended over a year of war between the two sides, Israele continues its daily bombings and still occupies five areas in Lebanese territory. The daily strikes and shootings have killed more than 160 people since November, according to L'Orient Today's count.
'We are at a historic moment'
Speaking at a funeral ceremony in Temnin al-Tahta (Baalbeck) and on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, Jaafrarite mufti Ahmad Qabalan called for "a defense policy commensurate with the greatest victories of the Resistance."
"A Lebanon without the weapons of resistance would be nothing but an Israeli colony," he stated. "The Resistance and the army are the highest guarantee of sovereignty for Lebanon. What is needed today is a defense policy commensurate with the greatest victories of the resistance since 1982."
"We are at a historic moment in an extremely complex regional and national context, under the watchful eyes of regional and international powers seeking to strike at the heart of those who defeated the Israeli occupation and the American project, the same project that, since the Israeli invasion, has tried to Judaize, Zionize, and liquidate Lebanon," the religious leader added. "He who is committed to this country submits neither to the Americans nor to anyone else."
In a message addressed to Lebanon on Sunday, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri expressed his "gratitude to those who responded to the call of the land and the people 25 years ago, and offered what they held most dear in defense of the homeland and its sovereignty." He also thanked the people of the south for their "unwavering steadfastness and deep commitment," following the municipal elections that concluded Saturday with the vote in southern Lebanon and Nabatieh.
'Victories of the Resistance'
The vice-president of the Higher Shiite Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, paid tribute to "all the martyrs and resisters who made the victory of May 25, 2000, possible."
"Our people have proven their attachment to their land, no matter the sacrifices. All the enemy's attempts to erase from memory the victories of the resistance, notably that of May 25, have failed. These efforts aim to instill a sense of defeat in the hearts of the resistance's public. Yet, you have thwarted them," he stated.
Sheikh Khatib expressed his satisfaction with the conduct of municipal elections in southern Lebanon, saluting voters who proved to be "up to the national responsibilities and attached to the land, despite the difficult conditions due to the brutal Israeli aggression."
The former director of General Security, General Abbas Ibrahim, said that he welcomed the Resistance and Liberation Day "with a grieving heart, for those we have lost and for the villages devastated by flames, while the Israeli occupation remains in Lebanese positions." For Ibrahim, May 25 was "a pressing call to place the reconstruction of the South and all afflicted regions at the heart of the state's priorities, through a clear national plan and concrete steps guaranteeing the Lebanese a dignified return and sustainable reconstruction."
The Amal movement on Sunday praised “the resilience of the Lebanese people and their sacrifices that led to the liberation of the land and the preservation of national sovereignty,” in a statement marking Resistance and Liberation Day.
“This year’s commemoration comes after a destructive Israeli war … an Israeli attempt to undermine the achievements of the Lebanese who liberated most of their land from occupation,” the statement read.
Amal added that “the withdrawal of the Israeli occupier from most Lebanese territories on May 25, 2000, was a sovereign act … It was never and will never be a victory of one Lebanese over another, but a victory for Lebanon and all the Lebanese.”
The group also called for confronting Israeli hostilities that have continued despite the cease-fire declared on Nov. 27, 2024. “Pressure must be applied to the international community and the countries that sponsored the cease-fire to compel Israel to stop its crimes and withdraw from Lebanese territory,” the statement said.
Since the cease-fire took effect, Israel has continued near-daily strikes in the South, killing 164 people, according to L’Orient-Le Jour’s tally. Israeli forces have also maintained a presence at five positions in southern Lebanon, which it has described as strategic.
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