Qassem calls for 'unconditional' Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon

On the occasion of Ashura, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated his call for an "unconditional" withdrawal of the Israeli army from occupied Lebanese territory in southern Lebanon.

His remarks came as ongoing negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv focus on a plan for "pilot zones" for the Israeli occupation army's withdrawal and deployment.

In his speech, the head of the movement again denounced the talks, calling on the Lebanese state to "take the hand extended" by Hezbollah. He argued that "the political authorities cannot go against the will of more than half of the Lebanese people."

Qassem also asserted that Hezbollah had won, in its war against Israel, "a battle against the suppression of Hezbollah, its environment, and its people."

"We are announcing it clearly: We have defeated the Israeli-American project and we are entering a new phase," he said.

Arguing that Israel does not intend to end its occupation of Lebanon, the secretary-general praised Iran's resistance.

"The United States and Israel wanted to eradicate Iran and its regime; they wanted to control the country and believed they could, but Iran stood firm," he said.

Maintaining that cooperation with Iran made it possible to defeat "the enemy and put an end to its project," Qassem said Hezbollah "intends to maintain its unity with this country, because it has become clear that its strength is reflected in that of the resistance fighters, and that this allows us to maintain a balance in order to defeat Israel and force it to withdraw."

He added that "Israel has no choice but to withdraw from all Lebanese territory, because its expansionist project has failed," again calling for an "unconditional" Israeli withdrawal.

The Hezbollah leader also said that "Lebanese sovereignty can be achieved through a return to the Nov. 27, 2024, agreement [which ended 13 months of war since October 2023] based on the party's withdrawal exclusively from the area south of the Litani River."

Addressing the Lebanese authorities, which have initiated direct negotiations with Israel in Washington despite Hezbollah's opposition, Qassem urged them "to reconsider the path forward, to work toward unity in the face of the Israeli enemy, and to stop acting under its orders," asserting that "political power cannot go against the will of more than half of the Lebanese people."

"We are ready to extend a hand, take advantage of the opportunity, because the resistance is strong," he said.