Hezbollah Marks Nasrallah Anniversary with Anti-Israel Chants

Lebanon held commemorations on September 27 for the second anniversary of the killing of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. His successor, Naim Qassem, addressed attendees, stating that Nasrallah's ideas continue to live on. "You created a party, a resistance movement, and a strong, powerful popular base. We will continue on this path," Qassem declared. Following his speech, the crowd chanted "Death to Israel!"

The events took place simultaneously at three locations across Lebanon. In addition to honoring Nasrallah, participants remembered Hashem Safi al-Din, Nasrallah's cousin and a former potential successor. The main ceremony was held at Nasrallah's burial site in Beirut's Dahieh district. Other events occurred at Safi al-Din's grave in the southern village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr and near the village of Nabi Sheet in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Qassem reiterated Hezbollah's commitment to "resistance" and the liberation of Palestinian land, stating, "When a leader becomes a martyr, new leadership takes his place to continue the path of his predecessors." He defended Hezbollah's actions, arguing that resistance prevented Israeli occupation and settlement in Lebanon, despite Israel's backing from the United States. "We cannot be defeated, and we will continue. Humiliation is alien to us," Qassem stated, adding that Hezbollah fighters had halted enemy army advances despite ongoing shelling.

He criticized Lebanon's current leadership, accusing them of abandoning sources of strength and submitting to enemy demands, thereby facilitating an "Israeli-American project." Qassem urged the Lebanese president to engage in indirect negotiations and defend Lebanon's sovereignty, promising support if he did so. He also claimed that any Israeli withdrawal would be a result of "resistance" actions and a US-Iran understanding, not negotiations, citing the failure of seven rounds of direct talks.

Qassem concluded by criticizing the United States' global ambitions and the perceived ineffectiveness of international law and the UN, suggesting that Israel's isolation on the world stage would contribute to its downfall.