Statement by His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem

Dr. Marwa Osman
Marwa Osman/MidEaStream + Part 2

Statement by His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary General of Hezbollah

The Israeli enemy, backed by the American hegemon, wagered on eliminating Hezbollah, its Islamic Resistance, and the people who stand united with it in dignity and honor. It spared no method, no crime, no conspiracy, no avenue, yet it has failed since the outset of the "Uli al-Ba's" battle on September 23, 2024, to this day.

The enemy's decisive bet came on March 2, 2026, which we confronted with the battle of "The Devoured Storm." The Israeli enemy, its patrons, the defeated, and indeed the entire world were taken aback by the steadfastness of the resistance fighters; their valor, intensity, diversity of tactics, operational effectiveness, and disciplined command and control, alongside the remarkable solidarity of the people who endured displacement and immense sacrifice. The enemy has reached a dead end. This resistance endures, strong and unbreakable.

Amid this atmosphere of sacrifice and dignity, and the enemy's defeat, the authorities hastened into a gratuitous and humiliating concession, one devoid of necessity, justified only by submission without return, not even by the smallest measure. We categorically reject direct negotiations. Let those in power understand: their conduct will benefit neither Lebanon nor themselves. What the Israeli-American enemy seeks from them lies beyond their capacity, and what they seek from it will not be granted.

The path to resolution begins with securing five essential points before anything else: a complete cessation of aggression, by land, sea, and air; Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories; the release of prisoners; the return of displaced residents to all their towns and villages; and reconstruction.

No authority can endure while forfeiting Lebanon's rights, conceding land, and confronting its own people in resistance. It must return to its people, unite them, and become a government of the whole nation, not a fragment, grounded in the consensus that underpins the Taif Agreement. Its responsibility is to reverse grave missteps that threaten Lebanon's stability: halt direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy in favor of indirect ones, rescind the March 2 decision that criminalizes the resistance and its people, more than half of Lebanon, and enable a genuine internal dialogue that places Lebanon's interest above all else, free from Israeli and external dictates.

Any solution must begin with recognizing that the problem is aggression, and that resistance is a response to aggression, not its cause. The resistance's arms are defensive, safeguarding existence in this phase in light of Israeli occupation and the revealed ambitions of aggression aimed at incorporating Lebanon into a "Greater Israel."

We will not relinquish our arms or our right to defense. The battlefield has proven the resistance's readiness for a Karbala-like epic. The sacrifices are immense, but they are the price of liberation and a dignified life, a burden borne by our great Lebanese people alongside their honorable resistance. It is a choice between two paths: liberation with dignity, or occupation with humiliation. As for the advocates of surrender, what a perplexing stance! They are not the ones under fire; they spend from others' suffering, accepting scraps of power at the expense of their own people's annihilation and the occupation of parts of Lebanon. Return to national unity so all may prevail and the enemies may lose.

The ceasefire would not have been achieved without the Islamic Republic of Iran through talks in Pakistan, following the legendary steadfastness of the resistance and its people in Lebanon. We extend our thanks to Iran. Why, then, did the authorities harden their stance? Any ceasefire, regardless of mediator, should be accepted, but no one negotiates Lebanon's terms except Lebanon itself.

Then came the "Black Wednesday" [April 8] of Israeli aggression against Beirut and all of Lebanon: 200 airstrikes within ten minutes, over 300 civilian martyrs, and more than 1,200 wounded. The Israeli enemy claimed the Lebanese authorities were not party to the ceasefire. The authorities' response culminated in a day of disgrace in Washington, where a direct meeting with the enemy was followed by a U.S. State Department statement announcing an agreement purportedly signed by the Lebanese government without even convening. It stipulated a unilateral ceasefire by Lebanon, granted Israel freedom to continue its aggression, and included acknowledgment by both governments of the need to curb Hezbollah and other "rogue groups." We heard no objection from officials. Has the authority chosen to act in tandem with the Israeli enemy against its own people?

We still hope the authorities will reverse course. Let it be clear: these direct negotiations and their outcomes are, to us, null and void. They do not concern us in any way. We will continue our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people. We will not return to the pre–March 2 reality. We will respond to Israeli aggression and confront it. No matter the threats, we will not retreat, bow, or be defeated. Threaten as you will, men of Allah in the battlefield do not bow; they humble tyrants and subdue the arrogant. We stand united with all honorable forces, alongside the Amal Movement, national political forces, and figures from all regions and sects.

We will not betray the blood of the martyrs, an entrusted legacy, foremost among them Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Sayyed al-Hashemi, and all martyrs; nor the wounds of the injured, the suffering of the prisoners, and the sacrifices of our displaced people.

Do not ask about our capabilities; they are not measured in months or years. They are built upon a triad: faith, will, and capacity, an inexhaustible triad. Look to the steadfastness of the fighters, the greatness of our people, and Allah's promise to the believers: {Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe in the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses stand} (Ghafir 51). Then you will understand the boundless nature of our strength.

Record this for history: the Israeli enemy will not remain on a single inch of our occupied land. Our people will return to their land, every last inch of our southern borders with occupied Palestine. And just as we resisted together, we shall rebuild together.

We welcome all who support Lebanon, its liberation, and its reconstruction and reject all who serve the enemy's agenda and undermine Lebanon's strength.

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