Hezbollah Deputy Leader Vows Continued Fight Against Israel

Hezbollah's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, delivered a strong speech on Sunday, stating that the organization is committed to continuing its military struggle against Israel until the full liberation of Lebanese territory. "We will act to continue the resistance against the Israeli enemy until it leaves our land and we achieve the full liberation of our land," Qassem declared, emphasizing that Hezbollah will not retreat or surrender despite pressures and confrontations.

Qassem asserted that Israel's objectives have completely failed, claiming that the resistance has proven that despite Israel's large army, it has not succeeded in breaking the resistance, stabilizing the occupation, or establishing settlements in Lebanon. He also stated that the assassinations of Hezbollah leaders, including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, have led to the conclusion that the organization will not surrender.

Addressing the fighting on the Ali-Al-Tahir ridge and in southern Lebanon, Qassem described the three-month stand as "firm resistance," but noted that holding territory was not their primary goal. He explained that the resistance operates based on calculations of profit and loss, aiming to prevent the consolidation of the occupation.

Qassem also commented on international involvement, suggesting that Iran was instrumental in halting attacks on Lebanon during the recent war, and that an understanding between Iran and the United States reduced escalation. He sharply criticized Israel's demand for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah, stating that Israel's past attempts to do so failed and that such a demand would make the Lebanese army an instrument of Israeli policy.

Finally, Qassem rejected calls for a cessation of hostilities, arguing that surrender to Israeli aggression would mean the end of coexistence in Lebanon, leading to Israeli settlements and American patronage. He warned that "Lebanon without resistance will be erased," and that Israel seeks to control all of Lebanon, weaken it, incite civil war, and annex it to the United States.