Beirut, Lebanon – Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has issued a stern warning to Israel, stating that the ongoing Israeli aggressions in Lebanon will not continue indefinitely. He emphasized that Hezbollah will not relinquish its arms, despite efforts by the Lebanese government.
Speaking via video during a ceremony commemorating “Martyr’s Day” in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Qassem criticized the Lebanese government, stating, “Unfortunately, the Lebanese government has only focused on disarming the resistance in its ministerial statement.”
He accused Israel of targeting civilians and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. “Israel is killing civilians in their homes, destroying houses, bulldozing land, preventing residents from returning to their homes, and preventing life in the villages [of southern Lebanon],” Qassem stated.
“Israeli aggressions cannot continue, and everything has a limit,” he declared. “Threats will not deter us from defending our people and our land, and we will not give up our weapons.”
Qassem further stressed that there is “no substitute for the ceasefire agreement, and no absolution for the occupation with a new agreement.” Hezbollah had previously stated its rejection of being drawn into “negotiating traps that achieve further gains for the Israeli enemy.”
A ceasefire has been in effect between Hezbollah and Israel since November 27, 2024. However, the Israeli army conducts near-daily raids into Lebanon and continues to carry out bulldozing and demolition operations in the south of the country.
Israel has recently intensified its attacks, claiming it is preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities. The Lebanese government adopted an American proposal in August to solidify the ceasefire, which included a timeline for disarming Hezbollah and deploying the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has rejected these moves, warning that they could ignite a civil war.
