Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qasem accused Israel of pursuing “expansionist policies” under the banner of so-called “Greater Israel” and warned that Lebanon was the next target for occupation.
Qassem said in a televised address on Friday that Israel was violating last year’s ceasefire agreement by carrying out “sustained” attacks across Lebanon. He stressed that the invasion was not about Hezbollah’s weapons, but about a broader plan to gradually occupy Lebanon and expand Israel’s borders.
“This invasion aims to establish a ‘Greater Israel’ through Lebanon,” he declared, appealing for Lebanese solidarity against colonial projects.
Qassem rejected US involvement in Lebanon’s defense strategy, saying the US “will not interfere in any way” in internal affairs. He warned that an alliance with Israel would mean “sinking the ship” and that unity would ensure resilience. “Hezbollah will protect itself, its people and its country and will not surrender,” he vowed, identifying resistance as Lebanon’s only defense against Israel’s expansionist ambitions.
The concept of a “Greater Israel” is deeply rooted in Zionist ideology, with a maximalist vision stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. In modern politics, it often refers to Israel’s expansion into the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights, and potentially parts of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.