Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem gave a powerful speech on Sunday to commemorate the ninth anniversary of Resistance Commander Mustafa Badreddine’s senior, addressing his legacy as one of Hezbollah’s longest existence members.
“Martyr Mustafa Badreddine was one of the first to fight Israeli occupation in Kalde, south of Beirut in 1982,” Sheikh Qassem praised the late commander as a fundamental figure in Hezbollah’s armed resistance. “He is a symbol of courage and sacrifice, and his path continues to inspire resistance.”
Turning to Israel’s escalation on Syrian territory, Sheikh Qassem issued a harsh denunciation. “We strongly condemn Israel’s invasion of Syria,” he said. “We call on the Syrian people who have been standing still for a long time to prevent Israel from achieving its objectives.”
Palestinians do not lose their rights
Sheikh Qassem also tackled the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Palestinians and expressed unwavering support for their struggle. “Netanyahu will never strip the resilient Palestinians of their rights,” he declared. “They sacrifice everything to maintain their dignity and they will not surrender.”
He recalled the fall of May 17, 1983, the controversial US-brokered deal between Lebanon and the Israeli regime, consent. “The agreement collapsed, which hampered Israel’s ambitions in Lebanon,” he said.
Emphasizing the long-standing role of Hezbollah, Sheikh Qassem highlighted the strategic importance of armed resistance. “Resistance has stopped Israel’s enemy and put an end to a creeping plan to annex parts of Lebanon,” he insisted. “It prevented Israel from impose a humiliating agreement on Lebanon or submitting it to its dictator.”
Hezbollah is unshakable in that position
Sheikh Qassem also emphasized, “We will continue to stand up to the logic of justice rather than obedience and resist the defense of Lebanon and its people. The enemy will not achieve that goal.”
Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the path of resistance and sacrifice, saying, “We will provide Director-General Hassan Nasrala on the path of resistance and sacrifice, and his martialism serves as a beacon for us to continue.
He emphasized that the resilience of resistance would ultimately wear down the enemy. “As resistance continues and maintain its strength, the enemy will despair with our strength and immobility, allowing us to achieve greater dignity and honor,” he said.
Repeated violations of Israel
Sheikh Qassem also accused Israel’s occupation of repeated violations of ceasefires, saying “Israel has violated the ceasefires more than 3,000 times since its announcement.”
He warned that “Israel” was trying to eliminate resistance through political pressure. “Israel is trying to end the resistance by continuing the pressure and attack, but this time through politics,” he said.
Calling for more robust action, Sheikh Qassem said, “The Lebanese state must act more decisively and face Israeli violations with greater force.”
He dismissed efforts to isolate resistance. “Everyone who thinks they can pick up resistance and isolate it is paranoid,” he said. “You did not succeed in removing us from the equation. You did not succeed. Components are not isolated and cannot be achieved by pressure to achieve what they were not able to achieve in the war.”
“The Cedition destroyed Lebanon.”
Sheikh Qassem accused Israeli occupation allies within Lebanon of sowing discord and destruction. “Israel servants… their agitation destroyed Lebanon. They always act to destroy the people around them and destabilise the country,” he said.
Addressing them directly, he added, “We told the servants of Israel, return to your national sense so that we can work together.”
Sheikh Qassem emphasized the inclusion in Lebanon’s political future, saying, “We are part of a new era and partner in its benefits. We hope to take a particular stance before and rethink them to build a country.”
“The Lebanese state must act.”
He called on Lebanese officials to prioritize facing Israeli attacks. “Lebanese leaders must prioritize Israeli invasion, its violation, its occupation and ensuring the release of prisoners,” he said.
When it comes to national reconstruction, Sheikh Qassem emphasized the urgency. “The second priority is reconstruction and I would like to ask the Lebanese government to put this issue first on the agenda for the next session,” he urged.
He further emphasized the broader state-building goal: “Lebanese officials must also prioritize economically and socially rebuilding the state and repaying depositors’ funds.”
(Source: Al Mayadeen)