Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem. (Photo: Military Media)
By Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said resistance will continue until Israel withdraws completely, while urging Lebanon to halt concessions to Israel.
Key Developments
- Sheikh Naim Qassem said “Iran has won” the recent confrontation and dismissed any debate over the outcome.
- He vowed that the resistance will continue as long as Israel maintains its occupation of Lebanese territory.
- Qassem urged the Lebanese government to halt “free concessions” to Israel and instead engage in dialogue with the resistance.
- He said there is no objection to a public meeting with Syria’s leadership when the timing is appropriate.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Tuesday that the resistance would continue as long as Israel maintains its occupation of Lebanese territory, insisting that full Israeli withdrawal remains the only acceptable outcome.
He also urged Lebanese authorities to end what he described as “free concessions” to Israel.
Speaking during a ceremony marking Arbaeen, Qassem said Hezbollah remains committed to “one united Lebanon” and rejected any compromise over Lebanese territory.
“We believe in one united Lebanon that cannot be divided and will not relinquish its land,” he said. “The only option before the Israeli enemy is a complete withdrawal… and it will withdraw.”
‘Resistance Will Continue’
Qassem said the region continues to face a joint US-Israeli campaign targeting Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Iraq and Yemen in an effort “to extinguish the flame of resistance.”
He said Israel’s objective during its offensive against Lebanon in September 2024 had been to eliminate Hezbollah, but argued that the movement had frustrated those plans.
“We confronted them in the Battle of Uli al-Baas, remained steadfast, and forced them into an agreement that affirmed the legitimacy of the resistance while causing their objectives to fail,” he said.
“The resistance will continue as long as the occupation exists,” Qassem added, warning that “those who join the Israeli project will be confronted.”
Memorandum of Understanding
Qassem also argued that the US-Iran memorandum of understanding had played a decisive role in reducing the scale of Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
He said Iran insisted that Lebanon be placed at the top of the agreement’s priorities, conditioning progress on an end to Israeli attacks and a complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
“The path of the memorandum of understanding is what will achieve the Israeli withdrawal,” he said, adding that none of it would have been possible without “the steadfastness of the resistance.”
Criticism of Lebanese Government
Turning to Lebanon’s internal politics, Qassem sharply criticized direct negotiations between Lebanese authorities and Israel.
“Negotiations have brought Lebanon nothing but shame, humiliation, disappointment and successive concessions,” he said.
He called on the Lebanese government to “stop making free concessions, engage in dialogue with the resistance, strengthen the internal front, and safeguard sovereignty.”
Questioning the continuation of contacts with Israel, he asked: “Shouldn’t the systematic destruction of southern villages and towns be enough reason to halt dialogue with the Israeli entity?”
Qassem also said all Israeli attacks on Lebanon have taken place “under American supervision, management and approval.”
Syria, Iran and Palestine
On regional relations, Qassem said Hezbollah supports positive and cooperative ties between Lebanon and Syria, adding that there was “no objection” to a public meeting between Hezbollah and Syria’s leadership “at the appropriate time.”
He also praised Iran’s role in the region, saying the Islamic Republic had emerged victorious from the recent confrontation.
“Iran has won, and there is no longer any room for debate over who emerged victorious,” he said.
He concluded by reaffirming Hezbollah’s support for Palestine.
“We will never forget Gaza and Palestine,” Qassem said, while also saluting Iraq and Yemen for supporting what he described as the common struggle against Israel.
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“Reprinted from…”‘Iran Has Won’ and Resistance Will Outlast Occupation – Sheikh Qassem – Palestine Chronicle