Full text of the speech by Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, on April 13, 2026, devoted to the war against Israel and the acts of betrayal of the Lebanese government.

Source: naimkassem.com.lb

Translation: resistancenews.org

  • Introduction
  • The Current Phase
  • Negotiating with Israel is a Conspiracy Against Lebanon
  • How to Save Lebanon?
  • A Legitimate and Heroic Resistance
  • Hezbollah’s Strategy
  • Those Who Push for Civil War are Playing into the Enemy’s Hands
  • Message to the Gulf Countries and Syria
  • Message to the Lebanese People
  • The Aggression Against Iran and Tehran’s Support for Lebanon
  • Hezbollah’s Responsibility
  • Conclusion

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  • Introduction

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds. May the peace and blessings of God be upon the noblest being in Creation, our Master, our beloved and our guide, our Prophet Muhammad (may the peace, blessings, and salutations of God be upon him and his family), as well as upon his pure and immaculate family, his virtuous and chosen companions, and upon all the prophets and the righteous until the Day of Resurrection. May peace be upon you, as well as the mercy and blessings of God.

Today, we will define our reading of this phase, on the basis of the many developments that have occurred, which require a comprehensive and coherent position setting forth Hezbollah’s point of view on the unfolding of events.

But first, I congratulate Christians on their glorious Easter celebrations, and we pray to God the Almighty to grant us all the grace to walk in the footsteps of the Master Jesus Christ, may the peace of God be upon him, in love and social service, as well as in all the noblest and most glorious virtues that lead us to always be together in the service of humanity.

  • The Current Phase

I will begin with the first point: we have been facing a barbaric Israeli-American aggression since the start of the Battle of the Mighty [the war between Hezbollah and Israel from September to November 2024], and this aggression has shown no regard for any human or moral considerations; it is, in reality, an occupation in the true sense of the word. We held firm, the Resistance fighters held firm, our people held firm, Lebanon held firm, and thanks to this perseverance and this confrontation of all fighters and all components, we succeeded in bringing the Lebanese state to sign an indirect agreement with the Israeli enemy on November 27, 2024, on the basis of which the aggression ceases completely, Israel withdraws, prisoners are released, and reconstruction begins.

We endured for 15 months the enemy Israel’s failure to comply with a single point of the agreement, or even a single phase of the agreement. There were more than 10,000 violations, and yet we showed patience [and did not retaliate]. About 500 civilians, young people, and others were killed as martyrs; there were several hundred wounded; homes were destroyed; and yet we showed patience, without diplomacy having advanced a single step. They always told us: “Be patient a little longer; this week we have contacts, we are applying pressure,” but the pattern remains the same: the continued aggression against Lebanon by the Israeli enemy with the full support of the United States.

We retaliated at the opportune moment, on March 2 [2026], believing that the timing was right to say: “Stop and go implement the agreement.” It was thus revealed, thanks to this chosen moment, that a very large-scale plan of aggression was being prepared against Lebanon, and we deprived the Israeli entity of the ability to take us by surprise and inflict very heavy losses that could have occurred due to the element of surprise.

The objectives of the Israeli aggression are clear: to annihilate the strength enjoyed by Lebanon and its Resistance, as a prelude to “Greater Israel.” So let some people stop interpreting, translating, and philosophizing about “Greater Israel.” My brother, they have various practices that demonstrate this, explicit statements that demonstrate this, and aggressive behavior that demonstrates this. For your information, it is all of Lebanon that is targeted; for when Israel wants to occupy South Lebanon, it means it is occupying Lebanon, and when it exerts pressure, kills, and spreads its killings across Lebanese territory, it means that all of Lebanon is targeted. “Greater Israel” targets all of Lebanon, not just the Resistance, nor just a certain category of Lebanese.

In the event of an aggression, it is the responsibility of the Lebanese state to defend the country and to task its army and security forces with confronting the Israeli enemy. One might justify the Lebanese state’s inaction by citing its weakness and incapacity, but one cannot justify that the Lebanese state, with its authority, be an instrument of execution to carry out what Israel wants by exerting pressure on the Resistance, cornering the Resistance, and taking measures, adopting behaviors, and making decisions within the government that lead to weakening the internal situation in the face of the Israeli enemy.

Israel has clearly stated—and the United States has stated alongside it—that they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah and fight it, and they want the Lebanese state to dismantle the cultural, social, political, educational, and health institutions of the party—that is, to annihilate the existence of the Resistance, the people of the Resistance, and all those who support the Resistance in every sphere. These are clear statements. Even when they support the army, they do not support it so that it would be capable of controlling the borders; they support it only to the extent that it would allow it to fight its own people, and of course that is something the Lebanese army cannot do.

There are, within Lebanon itself, those who have accepted that their compatriots be killed and have completely submitted to American tutelage. Patriotism means that we are together, not divided with some of us working with the enemy and others working for the homeland. This calls into question the patriotism of those who act in the service of the enemy, even if they claim not to want to serve the enemy. Let this be clear: because we are existentially targeted, because our homeland is targeted by the Greater Israel project, and because we believe in the sovereignty and independence of our country, and that no one has the right to impose anything on us regarding how to manage our country as Lebanese citizens and as the Lebanese authority, we have decided to resort to confrontation and resistance to defend Lebanon and its people, and we are waging the “Battle of the Crushed Straw” in this spirit. God the Most High has said: ﴾[Fighting] has been permitted to those who are attacked, because they have been wronged—and God is certainly able to aid them. Those who have been driven from their homes for no other reason than saying, “Our Lord is God.”﴿ [Quran, 22:39–40] We fight under this banner, under this slogan. We are the holders of a right, we are the owners of this land, and we are under attack; our homeland and our loved ones are under attack by the Israeli-American enemy.

  • Negotiating with Israel is a Conspiracy Against Lebanon

Second: this Israeli aggression is not a battle for Israel’s security. Let us move beyond the notion that Israel wants to ensure its security, that it lives in fear, and that it has a problem with the settlements. No, this is not a battle for the security of the North; it is an aggression aimed at devouring Lebanon, at annihilating its strength, its people, and its Resistance.

Mr. President, they are pressuring you to confront your people; nothing will satisfy them until everything collapses for the benefit of Israel. We are all together the children of the same country, which we are building together, which we are founding together, and which we are making a model in the region of independence, freedom, dignity, construction, cooperation, and national unity.

Mr. Prime Minister, what have those who have been pressuring Lebanon since the formation of your government brought? All they ask of you is to trigger internal crises and provide justifications and gains for the occupation; there has been no support to prevent the aggression or to build Lebanon. Let us therefore confront the aggression together, then agree on the future, and agree on all points.

Our decision to resist is to not appease ourselves, to not stop, to not surrender, and we will let the battlefield speak, while our tongues are busy invoking God the Most High. We refuse negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity; such negotiations are futile, and they require a Lebanese agreement and consensus to change course, shifting from non-negotiation to direct negotiation as currently proposed. No one has the right to commit Lebanon to this path without an internal consensus among its components, and that has not taken place. This willingness to negotiate directly with the Israeli enemy is part of the capitulation, the series of gratuitous concessions granted by the Lebanese authority, and the practical, concrete reality demonstrates that these are losing concessions; far more, they humiliate us through them by treating us as enemies, and the Lebanese government loses, the Lebanese people lose, and Lebanon’s future loses.

What is this insult directed directly at Lebanon? Israel says it clearly, the Israeli ambassador says it clearly: these are negotiations for the disarmament of Hezbollah and for peace with the Israeli enemy, and Netanyahu has repeated this. How can you go to negotiations whose title is clear from the start? You say you want a ceasefire, but what do they say? What cards do you have in your hand? Not to mention that we do not agree with the very principle of this negotiation. This negotiation is a submission, a capitulation, and a stripping of Lebanon of its strength.

We call—and the opportunity is still available—for a historic and heroic stance by canceling this negotiation meeting. Look, if you cancel it, all countries will rally behind you; you will hold an important place among the Lebanese people; you will be able to lay the groundwork for using the factors of strength against the Israeli project and forcing it to implement the agreements. There is an agreement dated November 27—let them implement it, then. Afterward, you can discuss the issues; we have time. The Lebanese authorities must stop distancing themselves from the Resistance and treating it as an enemy at a time when they should be supporting it and making use of its capabilities. It’s truly strange, by God—you don’t fight, and you don’t let anyone else fight? It’s truly strange, by God—you don’t stand up to them, and you don’t allow anyone else to stand up to them, yet you implement what Israel and America say by oppressing the sons of your country? Go see what they’re doing in Israel, my brothers. In the Israeli entity, the entire Israeli entity is fighting: men, women, and children. The reserve in the Israeli entity numbers more than hundreds of thousands of people. How large is the reserve compared to the army? It is ten times, eight or nine times the number of army personnel. Today, 100,000 soldiers are deployed in the north of occupied Palestine, the overwhelming majority of whom belong to the reserve. Why? Because they want to preserve their occupation and want to expand their occupation, and they make use of every element at their disposal.

As for us, the Lebanese authority wants to abandon its potential and its capabilities, this people who help it to stand on its own feet and be able to face the challenges. The Lebanese authority is responsible for sovereignty, liberation, and the protection of citizens. Tell us what you have done? Tell us what your achievements are? You have accomplished nothing; on the contrary, you are losing your way, and this is because of your decisions and your positions. My brother, if you are not capable of this, at least keep quiet or take measures that help us cooperate together.

  • How Can Lebanon Be Saved?

The only path that achieves sovereignty and saves Lebanon is the implementation of the terms of the (ceasefire) agreement. First, the aggression must cease completely—on land, at sea, and in the air. Second, there must be an immediate withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories. Third, the release of prisoners. Fourth, the return of people to their villages and cities, all the way to the last house in the border strip and within Lebanon’s borders. Fifth—I would have placed this as the fourth point, but this time it must be distinguished—reconstruction through an official decision, with international support and under the responsibility of all parties involved.

These are the five points; let these be implemented first, and then the other issues that require debate, we will discuss them at our leisure. We, the Lebanese, know how to work, we know how to cooperate, and we know how to make our decisions.

Some ask: if the aggression continues, how long will we hold out? What will we do? If there is an aggression, there are only two paths: either we confront the aggression, or we surrender. Since the enemy demands surrender, and there will be no surrender, we must therefore confront the aggression. Let the leaders reflect, and let us cooperate with them, and let all people of honor cooperate with them. Let them consider how we can secure international aid, available capabilities, internal resilience, and national unity, and put all these elements into a concrete plan so that we can confront the aggression. That is to say, sit down and develop a project on how to address this through the various paths. For this aggression has no solution other than surrender or confrontation. There will be no surrender. If anyone is thinking of surrendering, let them go and surrender on their own; as for us, we will not surrender; we will remain on the battlefield even if we stay there until our last breath. They say they are killing us; let them kill us, then, and we will kill them too. They say they are attacking; we stand our ground. They say the world supports and backs them, and it is an arrogant world where there is no justice. We want justice; we want to give an example and an experience to the entire world that Lebanon, with its People, its Army, and its Resistance, stands up to the Israeli enemy. We ask for nothing; we tell them to leave us alone, we tell them that we want our country, we tell them that we want to liberate our land, we tell them not to attack us. It is they who are attacking, not us, and we are doing nothing that leads to this.

As long as the Authority continues to support and facilitate the objectives of the aggression, the aggression will continue, and no stability will ever be achieved because of the aggression. Let our hands join to reflect on how to break out of this deadlock.

A Legitimate and Heroic Resistance

Thirdly: do not distort the facts. We are fighting an obvious enemy who openly proclaims his aggression through occupation, the murder of civilians, and the destruction of life. This is Lebanon’s war against the Israeli-American enemy, not the wars of others. So show me, where are the wars of others? My brother, who is fighting here among us? Who is fighting for whom? It is our land that is occupied, it is our youth who are being killed, it is our civilians who are being killed, it is the Lebanese trees that are being uprooted, it is the Lebanese homes that are being demolished, and the martyrs are falling among these people. Where is the war of others? Now, if we converge with others in that their enemy is Israel, just as our enemy is Israel—that is wonderful. Let the others wage a battle and let us wage ours at the same time; this lightens our burden, it is better than if they were attacking us alone, and this is an undeniable and honorable truth.

Look at America, across its entire length and breadth, with all its despotism, all its capabilities, all its powers, all its barbarism, all its criminality, which always says it wants allies to be with it and help it, in order to plunge the world into its criminal project and profit from it. And as for us, will we not ask for someone to help us? That they be with us? That they fight at the same time? That they form an Axis to confront this? I would like Arab countries, Islamic countries, and others to agree to participate (in this struggle), so that we may confront this arrogance and aggression.

Our mujahideen are present on the ground; we will stand our ground and fight until our last breath. Our mujahideen on the battlefield are writing the greatest epics with extraordinary legendary feats. We have the noblest and greatest among these brave men. If you saw the lists of those who want to go to the front, we cannot accommodate them all; we tell some brothers: “My brother, be patient; it is not the number that is required—we have a limited number, and we cannot bear any more on the front.” The young men have very high morale; those who fight possess a spirit of martyrdom, courage, bravery, strength, and ability, and by God, they have a connection with God the Almighty that enables them to strike fear into the enemies of God the Most High and to achieve great feats. We are the sons of (Imam) Hussein, may the peace of God the Most High be upon him. These sons of Hussein do not bow their heads before any creature on the face of the earth. Banish this notion from your minds, you who, whenever there is bloodshed and death, spread your defeatist ideas… There is glory, there is dignity, there is honor; we will say nothing more than that.

We are victorious right now. They always say, “You always say you are victorious even though you are being killed.” No, my dear, no—we are victorious right now and at every moment, despite the great sacrifices. Victory is holding firm on the ground; victory is continuing to confront the enemy; victory is making that enemy suffer, and we are making him suffer; victory is that “Israel” does not achieve his objectives—and he has not achieved them and will not achieve them; victory is not letting him stabilize (his occupation), and he will not stabilize, if God Almighty wills it. We are victorious both through victory and through martyrdom: some of us are martyred, and the others continue. This is Karbala (the land of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom): martyrdom and the continuation of the march. Yes, we are Karbalais; to be a Karbalai means not submitting in humiliation, but fighting until martyrdom and victory come—not just martyrdom, but martyrdom and victory—for some are martyred and others achieve victory, by the grace of God, and this is what happened with Imam al-Hussein, peace be upon him: those who were with him were martyred, and the Ummah has triumphed from his time until today, and we are among his followers and students.

Hezbollah’s Strategy

Let this be known and clear to you, and I believe the reality on the ground has proven it. The Resistance prepared itself in silence and secrecy, and the mujahideen fight by advancing and retreating (guerrilla warfare), and not by remaining static in the geography. We employ all manner of varied resistance tactics, and as soon as the opportunity allows us, we will take prisoners from among the enemy’s soldiers. Let them not be mistaken in thinking they are free simply because they are on the move. When they wander through the heart of villages, or are near certain locations, as soon as the time is right for us, God willing, we will take prisoners from among the enemy. We will fight this enemy from behind, from his right, from his left; he will not know where the resistance fighter will emerge. In any case, this is the situation on the ground: we will not let them stabilize, and they will live in terror. The Resistance, with its capabilities and methods, is not merely hand-to-hand combat, nor merely a battle at the borders; it is a missile, a drone, a rocket, and every available means. And above all, the Resistance is faith, will, and capability, and by God’s grace, we possess them with strength and determination. We have no time criterion, nor any criterion as to the extent of the sacrifices. Our only criterion is to stand firm, to hold our heads high, to put an end to the aggression, and to liberate the land.

These Israeli settlements in northern Palestine will not be safe, no matter how far Israel invades Lebanon. You demolish houses to turn the land into bare ground where you expand and create a buffer zone, but it is too heavy a burden for your back. Do you know what the demolition of these houses will lead to? It will make your future difficult. Why? Because reconstruction and return are two fundamental and indispensable conditions for ending the aggression before anything else. All of this will be rebuilt, and all of this will constitute Lebanon’s borders. Lebanon’s borders will not retreat a single meter. You tell us now that we are in the heart of the battle and that our situation is difficult. Yes, our situation is difficult, but their situation is difficult too. What matters is will and continuity, and that, God willing, is available.

In any case, we have experiences before us: how long did they stay in 1982? In the end, they left against their will. This does not mean they will stay for 18 years, but it does mean: where were we? Where were our capabilities? Where were the capabilities of the Resistance? Of course, all resistance fighters are concerned by this issue, but in the end, the owners of the land will prevail when they are like this great Resistance.

  • Those Who Push for Civil War are Playing into the Enemy’s Hands

Fourthly: when the stages of the army’s deployment south of the Litani River succeeded, it was thanks to constructive cooperation between the army and the Resistance, between the authorities and the Resistance. When the agreement took place, the Resistance agreed to commit to respecting its terms. When the army deployed, we facilitated the process: there was not a single slap, and the army was not forced to take any harsh or negative measures. There was cooperation, and thank God, we are convinced, they are convinced, the authorities are convinced, and we said that we all wanted to commit to respecting it.

Today, when the political authority makes decisions on March 2 and criminalizes the Resistance, considering the resisters as outlaws, how can it then ask the resisters to coordinate their actions with it so that we can reorganize Lebanon’s situation with them? Is that reasonable? How will the authorities commit to respecting even a single measure among these measures, when they are criminalizing us? Knowing that this criminalization is a grave sin, this government must back down, and backing down is a virtue. You will demonstrate virtue if you back down. Why? Because you want to (preserve) your country, you want to (preserve) your homeland, you want unity. So show us this concrete implementation.

Know that pursuing this decision paralyzes everything: for you have made a decision and you are stabbing the Resistance in the back. What are you waiting for, then? And how will you implement concrete measures on the ground? With whom will you come to an agreement? With whom will you work? That is why I call on the political authority to reverse this decision. For us, this is not a valid decision to begin with, and it is not a (legitimate) decision that falls within the scope of decisions that it falls to the authority to make, because this is a national issue that requires consensus, that requires a constitutional agreement, even to debate the question of whether we want the Resistance or not—because the authority says here, “I don’t want the Resistance,” and is not content to say, “I am preparing for it.” This requires a debate, a major debate on defensive strategy and national strategy. That is why I call on the Lebanese government to back down, and this is part of Lebanon’s sovereignty. It is free; the political authority can say: “This is my country, and I want to work to protect it with the forces of strength that are here.” It is then that cooperation between the authorities, the Resistance, the people, and the various components intensifies, and we succeed in protecting the homeland and its citizens.

Look, the occupation disappears, even if it takes some time. I am not speaking of some exceptional experience unique to us; no, this is the case all over the world. Tell me, what occupation, in the face of resistance, has lasted in any country? And there have sometimes been very heavy sacrifices, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, even millions, as was the case in Algeria, for example, or elsewhere. But in the end, the occupation does not last.

We are the owners of the land and the holders of the right. We will keep Lebanon’s head held high, and we will thwart the bats of the night who wait for the enemy to realize their dreams. There are people who think that the enemy will shift the balance of power and that they will be able to make themselves at home in Lebanon. You will not make yourselves at home; you will remain on high alert. This country cannot tolerate a gang of murderers at the checkpoints [a reference to the bloody history of the Lebanese Forces, who collaborated with Israel and killed thousands of Lebanese], nor a gang that spits its venom on the President of the Republic and on the others, nor a gang that seeks to sow discord. Change your ways, my friends; be on the side of the homeland, and do not be on the side of the bats of the night.

The United States, Israel, and Israel’s servants, both inside and outside the country, are striving to create discord and sedition. How? They want the army to fight the Resistance to put an end to it, seize its weapons, and facilitate Israel’s task in a part of its project of which this stage is the starting point: the Greater Israel project. But, thank God, the army is clear-headed and mature; its leaders, its officers, its ranks—all think of their homeland. Consequently, this army cannot enter the circle of discord, just as the Resistance cannot enter it.

They also want discord by another path: they are now starting to spread the idea that there might be a problem between Sunnis and Shiites. Why? Because there are displaced people in predominantly Sunni areas mixed with Shiites, but where Sunnis are in the majority. Thus, under the pretext that there are problems between the displaced people and the residents, they provoke a search, sow a certain amount of discord, and under the pretext that the head of government is being criticized, there must therefore be discord between Sunnis and Shiites. Who is working on this? The Americans, the Israelis, and Israel’s servants within the country. Will those [among the Christian Lebanese Forces and their allies] who are working to sow discord from within have the courage or the audacity to stand up to it? No, these are just empty words. What interests them is for discord to take root among the others, so that they can do away with both components—that is, so that they can do away with both Sunnis and Shiites together through discord—no, it will backfire on them. We are of one heart with our Sunni brothers, and they will not succeed in sowing this discord. The servants of Israel will fail; we will not let discord raise its head among the honorable people of this homeland.

They also want to sow division between the Amal Movement, Hezbollah, and the people of the Resistance. My brother, we are all the sons of Imam al-Sadr, founder of the Resistance in Lebanon, who called for the liberation of the South with tooth and nail, and publicly declared that “Israel is the absolute evil.” You want to sow discord among them? No, you will not succeed.

Christians of all denominations, and Muslims of all obediences—Sunnis and others—Sunnis, Druze, and Alawites—all, every Muslim and every Christian, are our brothers in the homeland, in religion, and in the heavenly messages. It is on this basis that we act: let no one come between us, for what unites us is stronger than what divides us, far stronger than the demons from within and without and the mouthpieces of sedition.

  • Message to the Gulf States and Syria

I address here the Gulf States, particularly Kuwait, Bahrain, and the Emirates: we have no problem with anyone; we have no cells in your countries, and we have no Hezbollah organization in any country in the world. What interest do you have in opposing these millions of people in the region, in fabricating things, in accusing us of various things, and in judging certain individuals based on a photo, a word, a donation, or something similar? On three occasions, we have denied having any connection whatsoever to what is happening in Kuwait, affirmed that there is no Hezbollah cell there, and refuted all the accusations made, but Kuwait keeps coming back to the subject, and here in Lebanon, people are denouncing the fact that Hezbollah is carrying out these alleged actions. My brother, we tell you that we are not present in this country (nor any other)—where is the evidence (for your accusations)? There is no evidence. Moreover, we have neither parties nor forces deployed in the region nor anywhere in the world, not to mention that this allegation within the country has reasons that are not well-founded.

We must cooperate, my brother. The Arab countries must be united in the face of an Israeli project that must be confronted. This project will affect everyone: why would there be people making its task easier in this way?

As for Syria: from day one, if you recall the speech we delivered [see Naim Qassem Assesses Developments in Lebanon and Syria], we said that the Syrian people were free in their decisions. There is a new phase that does not concern us. It is the Syrian people who choose their leaders, who choose their regime, who choose their way of life, who choose their relationships. Those who spread their venom to create a problem, so that the Syrian army or someone from Syria might interfere in Lebanon’s problem, at a time when Israel is attacking Lebanon, are committing a grave crime. I believe, God willing, that the Syrian leadership and the Syrian people are aware of the danger posed by the United States, Israel, and those countries that seek to create a conflict between Syria and Lebanon. We have no problem with Syria, and our only enemy is the Israeli enemy hiding behind the American cloak.

  • Message to the Lebanese People

Fifth: O our displaced brothers, we hold our heads high thanks to you. You are the people of honor, pride, resistance, and sacrifice. Your patience has amazed the world; your support is the pride of free men; and the education you provide to your children and youth is a pinnacle of humanity. We eat together, we sacrifice together, we live with dignity together; we are of you, and you are of us. You, the displaced, have thrown a stone at the enemy, you have gouged out the eyes of discord and those who sow it, and you have proven that you possess the courage to live and that the homeland endures thanks to you. Show patience toward those who try to provoke you; direct your anger solely against Israel; as for the rest, let us wait and see. Thank God, you are like this: dignity, honor, and morale, and by God, we draw lessons and teachings from you.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have welcomed and assisted you, from all quarters: official bodies, the general public, associations, communities, and regions. Today, we are suffering enormous losses in Lebanon, both as the Resistance and as the Lebanese people; the losses are immense, but they are due to the occupation, and we have no choice but resistance. We are told: “If you hadn’t confronted Israel, we wouldn’t have suffered these losses.” My friends, we showed patience and were already paying the price; if we hadn’t confronted it, we would have paid even more and lost everything. Do you really think Israel is going to leave us alone? It is they who are attacking. My brother, during those 15 months [of Hezbollah’s inaction], were there not daily casualties? Do you know that after the ceasefire agreement—which stipulated that the Israeli enemy must withdraw from Lebanon after 60 days—the scale of the destruction they caused was far greater than what occurred from the start of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” until the end of the “Battle of the Mighty”? What do you call that? Are we waiting for this to continue at this pace? No! Confrontation results in fewer casualties than the absence of confrontation, because the Israeli has a plan and wants to carry it out. And so, when you see the destruction and ruin, some say it’s because of us. Ah, so it’s not because of the aggression? By God, they are strange: when there are Israeli bombings and people fall as martyrs, or houses are destroyed, “You see, O Resistance, what you have done?” My brother, who bombed? Did we bomb, or did Israel bomb? He replies: “No, because you’re fighting.” My brother, we are repelling the aggression against us. Does one say to the one who is under attack, “You are the cause of the aggression”? No, the enemy is the cause.

Look at the enemy’s losses: they claim to have 350 killed and wounded, 136 tanks as well as other vehicles destroyed; the northern settlements are nearly empty; their soldiers are terrified; they are in crisis because they don’t know how to get out of the quagmire they’re in. The average number of Resistance operations is about 42 daily operations [Hezbollah has carried out as many as nearly 100 in a single day].

I will tell you plainly: we suffer and they suffer; we suffer more, it is true, but we hope from God what they do not hope for [reference to a Quranic verse: “Do not slacken in pursuing these people. If you suffer, they too suffer as you suffer; but you hope from God what they do not hope for.” Quran, S. 4, V. 104]. We are the holders of the right, we are the owners of the land; we must endure, but the enemy does not get off scot-free—no: he pays economic, political, social, and educational costs, and all of this will become apparent later, but we must exercise patience. One does not say to the defender, “It is because of you,” but to the aggressor.

  • The Aggression Against Iran and Tehran’s Support for Lebanon

Sixth: America and Israel have attacked Iran. Tell me, what justifications have they put forward? They want to change the regime; they want to control Iran’s future; they want to seize Iran’s capabilities. Where is it written in international humanitarian law that a country has the right to control another country or seize its wealth? The nuclear issue is merely an argument and a pretext, whereas it is their right under international law to enrich (uranium) for peaceful purposes. For 47 years, Iran has been under sanctions because it is an independent state, aligned with neither the East nor the West, because it wants to have its own system, its own faith, and its own convictions. They want to strip Iran of its power to occupy it, steal its oil and wealth, and change its system—and Trump declares all this directly without hiding it. Who gave America this right? Praise be to God, Iran has surprised them with its resistance, its capabilities, and its sacrifices. This Iranian people is invincible. They killed the Guide, the Sayed, the Commander, Imam Khamenei—may God sanctify his noble soul—as well as a group of leaders and the people, and they have caused enormous destruction, but, praise be to God, Iran has united; they have elected a new Guide, His Excellency Sayed Mojtaba (Khamenei), may God prolong his shadow, and this is in addition to the appointment of new leaders and cadres, the presence of the people on the ground, and the fighting of the military forces and the Guardians (of the Revolution); all of this is a source of dignity. God willing, Iran will be victorious.

When Iran included Lebanon in the ceasefire, some in Lebanon were upset. Why? We must help one another with all those in the world who help us, and this is something that must continue. It is said that they are afraid that they are negotiating on our behalf—no one negotiates on anyone’s behalf. Negotiations have their own method, but as far as the ceasefire is concerned, yes, we must cooperate with Iran and with all the countries that are helping us to achieve the ceasefire.

That Iran honors this noble commitment is an additional asset to our capabilities, for Lebanon’s capabilities are, as we know, limited. Thank you to Iran for its support and for the pressure it exerts on America and Israel, and thank you to Yemen, Iraq, and all those who have contributed through combat, financial support, prayer, or by standing with us in their position.

The Lebanese state must correct its stance toward Iran, its ambassador, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. My brother, if any country in the world begins to support us, we say to it: “Welcome.” Is it conceivable that a state would support us in our Resistance and the liberation of our land, and that the authority within it would take such measures—and open the door to those who sow discord and work to destroy our country? No, you must pay attention to this.

  • Hezbollah’s Responsibility

Seventh: It is true that the pressure weighing upon us is great, but the mission is great as well, and the trust confided to us by the martyrs and the responsibility for the future of generations are in our hands. The blood of the martyrs is a trust upon our necks—that offered by the Master of the Martyrs of the Ummah, Sayed Hassan [Nasrallah], may Almighty God grant him His mercy, and [his successor] Sayed Al-Hashimi, and all the leaders, and all the martyrs among the Resistance fighters and the people of all their faiths and from all their regions throughout Lebanon. How can we not be faithful to these and to their blood? The aggression by the usurping Israel against Beirut, which resulted in more than 300 martyrs, men and women, among the civilians and among the fighters, and wounded who reached approximately two thousand—all of these form part of the trust upon our necks. Of course, Israel did this because it is powerless, incapable of facing us [on the battlefield].

  • Conclusion

I salute all civilians and all fighters; I salute all those martyrs who are at the highest ranks of honor in every battle that has taken place against the Israeli enemy. I ask Almighty God to envelop them in His mercy, as they are in glory, morale, and pride. I salute the martyred commander Sayed Youssef Ismaïl Hachem, who served as deputy commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, and he is of the first generation [that founded Hezbollah]; he was a pinnacle of morality, generosity, and sacrifice, endowed with great competence, and he was always in the forward positions—he has not left a single battle without participating in it. He has departed to the mercy of Almighty God, great and dignified.

I salute His Eminence Sheikh Sadiq al-Nabulsi, son of His Eminence Sheikh Afif al-Nabulsi, and brother of the martyred Hajj Commander Mohammed Afif. This sheikh—Sheikh Sadiq—was a thinker and a politician, and he took on many important issues to support the resistance. I salute the martyrs of the press at Al-Manar, Al-Nour, Al-Mayadeen, and all the channels, and in particular the dean of resistance journalists, the martyr Ali Shuayb, and the martyr thinker and active politician Mohammed Shari, and the martyr Fatima Fatouni, the flower of the South, and the martyr Mohammed Fatouni, and the martyr Suzanne Khalil, a remarkable social worker, as well as all the journalists who were martyred during this period and previous periods. They are the Resistance fighters in the front-line trench.

I also salute the martyrs of State Security, the Lebanese Army, the medical corps, the nursing corps, first responders, and civil defense. All of these, with all the examples of martyrs, are in the position of Resistance fighters, even if they held civilian positions, for in reality Israel is against everyone, and not just against those fighting it on the front. It is an occupying entity that we must all confront.

To the families of the martyrs and all who love them, we offer the reward of the blessed Surah Al-Fatiha, along with prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. [recitation of the surah]

May peace be upon you, as well as God’s mercy and blessings.

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