Naim Qassem: Lebanon is going through the most dangerous phase in its history, and we faced a plan to end the resistance

SadaNews - The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, said today, Friday, that Lebanon is undergoing the most dangerous phase in its history, and that the American-Israeli plan aims to completely eliminate the Lebanese resistance.

He added in a video speech that the Israeli war on Lebanon, which he described as criminal, showed no constraints in killing civilians and children and destroying buildings, and it sought to subdue the resistance with a premeditated decision.

He continued that there is no going back to before March 2, and he pledged to expel Israeli forces from all areas they occupied in Lebanon.

He pointed out that "the enemy (Israeli) and America have retreated from the agreement of November 27, 2024, after the fall of Syria (the Bashar Al-Assad regime), because they believed that the balance of power had changed, thus rejecting to continue under the previous agreements."

Plan to End the Resistance

He accused Washington and Tel Aviv of having devised a 12-point plan to end resistance in Lebanon, stating that the party also prepared a 12-point plan to thwart this scheme, asserting that the project to end Hezbollah and solidify the occupation has fallen.

Qassem mentioned that the American-Israeli plan "relies on manipulating the Lebanese government to dismantle the resistance in violation of the constitution and through all heinous actions regardless of the outcome, and it was required from the political authority to provide political cover," confirming that "all maritime, land, and air crossings have been closed to prevent supplies from reaching the resistance."

He said that the United States and Israel have prevented reconstruction to keep people displaced and uprooted until the environment of resistance turns against them, and they imposed a comprehensive financial blockade "so that the resistance could not rise."

He also stated that they "fomented discord to turn the Lebanese army against the resistance," adding that the awareness of the army and the objective circumstances prevented that from happening, accusing Washington and Tel Aviv of attempting to convince Syria to intervene in Lebanon to squeeze Hezbollah but she did not respond to them.

Spreading Discord

Sheikh Naim Qassem in his speech said that America and Israel "worked on reviving Sunni-Shia discord under the title of protecting the position of the Prime Minister but sensible people did not let this discord pass, adding that "the poison sprays did not lead us to the Shiite-Christian discord".

He added, "They wanted to strike the Sunnis against the Shia and the army against the resistance, then those who consider themselves theorists of the grand Lebanese state would come to invest in the situation, pointing out that some reports received by the party confirm that Americans, "when blamed these for not doing anything, responded that they could do nothing."

He continued, "The plan relied on there being international cover and from some Arab countries to pressure towards achieving Israel's interest under various titles and forms," stating that "all the world’s intelligence agencies are working against us and exploiting all their capabilities to besiege us."

He confirmed that America "leads this plan in all its details in every direction and uses all available capabilities, and we know and monitor the behind-the-scenes of everything, and we deal with matters that require sometimes confrontation, sometimes politics, and sometimes media."

The Right to Defend

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Qassem said that the resistance relied on its right to defend and liberate the land, and reviewed its military structure and management methods after the "Battle of the Strong" to suit the potential new battle.

He added that the resistance "modified its fighting techniques, and established a doctrine that benefits from experience and existing circumstances based on mobility and non-stationarity, and developed weapons and drones by its own sons."

Qassem said that the Lebanese resistance believed in confronting the enemy, directing its weapons at it until it leaves Lebanon without leaving a trace, and that it has "cooperated with those who carry its vision in confronting the one enemy," while maintaining its unity with the "Amal Movement."

He confirmed that the resistance relied on ambiguity and silence and still does so that the enemy does not know what it plans, and has taken a Karbala decision that still stands, and has shown patience where it is needed and has fought where it is needed, and its patience was a fight for 15 months.

Israel Will Withdraw

Qassem stressed that "there is no return to what was before March 2," and that the project to end Hezbollah has fallen, and that the Israeli is begging for the least gains and that it will leave the land no matter what.

He continued that "the Hezbollah project in Lebanon is based on following the path of Hussein and resisting oppression and adhering to freedom," considering that "every step the party takes to confront foreign guardianship, the Israeli occupation, and cultural and moral dependency represents a form of victory."

He also said in his speech, "As we do these things under this title, we are victorious in all our lives because we walk the right path, and when the enemy confronts us with weapons, we confront him with weapons, and when he confronts us with soft war, we confront him similarly, and when he tries to impose something on us, we refuse and raise our voices with the means of confrontation available to us."

He added, "We do not fear death, and we struggle for the sake of God in defense of our principles and lives, so that we can protect our steadfastness and choice; the weapon of death that they threaten us with is not a weapon that frightens us, even if no one from us remains."

He continued that "the enemy is defeated because it has not defeated our principles, nor our souls, nor our convictions, nor our steadfastness, and because we are present in the field and endure all difficulties and sanctions," asserting that victory "does not need a narrative to affirm it."

He clarified that the massive losses the resistance sustained in its war are not a defeat because they are "much less than surrender," noting that about 4,000 men, women, and children were "slaughtered in Sabra and Shatila, and we did not surrender."

He pointed out that the resistance "achieves achievements through its steadfastness," and that talking about the destruction of homes and what people possess during the war "is just an attempt to incite people against the resistance," stating, "You will not reach a result because those who walk under the banner of Hussein will not respond to the followers of Yazid."

He continued, "Do not ask about the form of victory, go discuss other political issues because you will not reach a result with us," emphasizing that what happened was "a clear Israeli aggression," and those who oppose the war "are those who refuse to do what they should."

He stressed that the resistance "is not required to win according to the projects of others, but rather according to the specific religious mandates, and victory is to prevent the enemy from achieving its goals, so do not pay attention to anyone who sees defeat in everything."

Ceasefire

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire starting at 4 PM local time today, Friday, however Israeli airstrikes continued, following the death of four Israeli soldiers during battles in southern Lebanon.

Reuters News Agency quoted an unnamed American official confirming the agreement between the two sides on the ceasefire, saying, "We learned that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah entered into a ceasefire."

For its part, Axios reported an American official confirming that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to ceasefire mediated by the United States and Qatar following discussions with Israel and Iran.