Hezbollah Chief Says Israel Seeks to Destroy Part of the Lebanese People

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Tuesday evening for Ashura that Israel’s plan in Lebanon is to eliminate Hezbollah socially, militarily and culturally through killing, displacement and transfer to other areas. He described the campaign as an existential threat, saying, "We are defending our lives and our future."

Qassem also claimed that Hezbollah had "succeeded in thwarting the Greater Israel project." He said there are no safe areas for Israel in southern Lebanon and warned that "Israel must leave, and it will indeed leave."

His remarks framed the conflict in Lebanon as a struggle over Hezbollah’s survival and the future of the Lebanese community, rather than a limited military confrontation. The speech came as Hezbollah continues to present itself as resisting Israeli pressure and rejecting any permanent Israeli presence in the south.