Hezbollah leader says Israel must leave Lebanon unconditionally, “defeated and humiliated”

Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem delivered a speech in Lebanon on Friday for the Shiite Ashura holiday, addressing the fighting with Israel, Iran’s role and remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He ended with a veiled threat, saying, “Israel must leave humiliated and defeated, and that is what will happen.”

Qassem argued that Israel remains in Lebanon because it wants to conquer it as part of “Greater Israel,” and said the resistance emerged because of “aggression and occupation,” directly pushing back on Rubio’s claim that Hezbollah’s fire is what keeps Israel in Lebanon. He also praised Iran, saying that despite “aggression,” it stood firm, reached “a memorandum of understanding” that he described as a formal declaration of defeat for America and Israel, and is now “shaping the future” for the region. He thanked Iran and said Israel has no choice but to withdraw completely from every inch of Lebanese land and stop its attacks by air, land and sea.

In his most direct political message, Qassem said Israel must leave “without conditions,” that no commitment against Lebanese sovereignty will be accepted, and that “no one has the right to sign anything.” He said any solution must be based on full Lebanese sovereignty and absolute independence, adding, “There is no normalization, no achievements for Israel, and no partial presence on Lebanese soil.”

Amid growing criticism in Beirut of Hezbollah, Qassem said he is “extending a hand” to the Lebanese government and urged it to seize the opportunity. “You cannot be in confrontation with more than half the people,” he said, also warning authorities to stop following “the enemy’s instructions” and decisions that serve American and Israeli interests. His speech came as Rubio said a day earlier that Israel and Lebanon were nearing understandings on pilot zones for disarming Hezbollah, where the IDF would likely withdraw and the Lebanese army would take over. Officials familiar with the talks said the current round, the fifth, is the worst so far, while an Israeli source said the Americans are pressing hard for an agreement. Separately, Lebanese media reported Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, and the IDF later said two officers and two soldiers were wounded, one moderately and three lightly, when a militant in Beit Yahoun threw a grenade at a 769th Brigade combat team force, before being killed in return fire.