Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on the ‘Second Liberation’ Anniversary Held on 25-8-2019

Translated by Staff

Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Delivered at the Second Anniversary of the Second Liberation during the “Fence of the Homeland” Festival in the Town of Al-Ain 25-8-2019

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, and the Master of messengers Abi al-Qassim Mohammad bin Abdullah and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.

Peace and Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you all.

I welcome you all, dear and honorable people, and I thank you for this great attendance. I consider this attendance to be the first response to last night’s “Israeli” attacks. Of course, the weather is hot where you are. Please consider this as a show of solidarity with the thousands of men, who spent years along these barrens and mountains, including the Lebanese army on Lebanese territory, the Syrian Arab army on Syrian territory and the resistance fighters on Lebanese and Syrian territories. For years they endured the freezing cold and the scorching heat. I hope that you view the time you are spending here now as a part of these people’s battle, which is also your battle, against a very dangerous global and international project that is targeting everyone.

To begin with, I congratulate you, our people in the Bekaa and the Lebanese people because the repercussions of this battle’s outcome are not confined to Baalbek-Hermel or the Bekaa. On the contrary, all of Lebanon benefited from the result of this battle. I also congratulate the Syrian people since the outcome of this battle did not only verberate
just across the border in Syria’s Zabadani, Qalamoun, al-Qusayr, Homs road and Homs, but was an important part of the overall battle in Syria that dates back to 2011.

I should pay special tribute to the families of the martyrs who received both honors, the victory that we all enjoy and the martyrdom of their loved ones who are our security and dignity in this lifetime and our intercessors and munitions on the Day of Resurrection. Special tribute to the wounded, the men of men, all the Mujahideen and all the men and women who embraced the fighters, protected them and defended them the way these fighters did for them, felt their pain, sorrows, joy and wounds. Congratulations to all of you on this great occasion.

Before delving into the topics, there are two things at the beginning that I would like to point out.

The first point: In a few days on the 31st [of August] is the anniversary of the abduction of His Eminence Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr and his brothers and dear companions, His Eminence Sheikh Mohammad Yacoub and Sayyed Abbass Badriddine. On this occasion, of course, brother and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri addresses this dossier and its developments every year. He will speak about it, God willing, in the festival hosted by the Amal Movement in Nabatiyeh.

But I would just like to emphasize at the beginning of the speech that what we have today and had for decades, including the sense of pride and self-confidence, the presence on the battlefields, the resistance, the achievements and the victories, including the one we are celebrating today, are largely due to the blessing of Imam, Sayyed Musa al-Sadr’s presence in Lebanon. It is thanks to his loud voice, his renaissance of faith and jihad and his Islamic and national project. 

We, along with our brothers in the Amal Movement, and all of us in the Bekaa and in Lebanon are the sons of this Imam. We keep and follow up with this issue. We pray to Allah Almighty to return this Imam, a great leader and Mujahid as well as his brothers to us so that he can witness the victories and achievements that he founded.

The second point: this is a continuation of the July victory festival that took place in the steadfastness square in Bent Jbeil. If you notice in all the speeches and addresses regarding the resistance and the victories of the resistance, my brothers and I always affirm that this victory belongs to everyone. It is for all the resistance fighters, resistance movements, the Lebanese army, the Syrian army while it was in Lebanon and the Palestinian factions. We do not exclude anyone. We consider this to be a moral responsibility. I, personally, insist on this. Of course, we cannot mention all the Lebanese and Palestinian factions, parties and organizations in every speech or acknowledge them and thank them. We usually generalize and talk about the Islamic Resistance, the Lebanese Resistance Regiments (Amal), the factions of the Lebanese National Resistance Front, the Palestinian Resistance factions and everyone who supported the resistance.

During the last celebration, there was a problem with the logo that was displayed. It was a technical mistake or a mishap. It should not have been limited to the flags raised above the fist. The logo should have included all the flags, the pictures of the figures and all the names.

In any case, the gentle reproach of some brothers, friends and some comrades is acceptable because I know it is an admonishment of loved ones. It hurts us that someone, a resistance fighter or an honorable person in this country gets hurt because of our mistake. Therefore, from the position of brotherhood, friendship and love, I personally apologize to anyone who has been harmed or inconvenienced by this issue. This issue has been overcome and does not require any further attention.

Now we come to our occasion. I have three points in mind:

The first point is the liberation anniversary, which includes Syria and the second liberation.

The second point focuses some concerns and issues in the Bekaa. I wanted to set aside some time to talk about the internal Lebanese situation in general, but in light of the developments last night I will talk instead about the latest and very dangerous “Israeli” incident. When we talk about it we will explain why it is very dangerous. 

The first part of the first point is the occasion of the Second Liberation anniversary. We must remember this scene during the commemoration of the occasion because what happened in our region is very significant. The threat was existential. The project was very serious. These towns and their inhabitants were all subjected to murder, displacement and captivity, their homes to destruction, if not being permanently occupied. 

What happened in recent years and culminated in the Joroud war is not a passing event. It should not become a passing event, just a memory in this region, its conscience, its culture, its dreams, its hopes and its aspirations for the future.
 
We must recall this project and this stage. I will just mention the broad headlines because we have spoken a lot about their content in the past few years. Hence it does not need to be explained again. I just mention the headlines as a reminder. You will remember them when I mention the headlines. God willing, I will tackle the recent developments.

We must remember the project that was prepared for Syria and was launched in Syria in 2011. It was not aimed at bringing democracy or internal political change. On the contrary, its purpose was to target a government that supported the resistance. There was even a map drawn up for the takeover of the region, destroying it and partitioning it along ethnic and sectarian lines. 

During the Bint Jbeil celebration, I said that our axis prevents wars. Today I tell you that our axis prevented the partitioning of the region during its battles in the past few years. It will prevent the partitioning throughout all of the Arab and Muslim countries, and this is what is being prepared for Yemen these days.

It was an extensive and dangerous project targeting everyone. We must remember that the Takfiri groups controlled the eastern range, the border after Masna’ to Zabadani, all the way to Qalamoun and al-Qusayr stretching to Tell Mando along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

We must remember the political choices throughout those days. Who supported them? Who backed them? And who facilitated things for them? Who transported weapons and ammunition using boats and trucks? Who opened the borders for them? Who wagered on them? Who defended them? Who disrupted the state and prevented the army from confronting them so that the elements of this project were complete? Who gave them political and media coverage? Who labeled them as rebels and not as terrorists, Takfiris, killers, perpetrators of massacres, head-choppers, liver eaters and women abductors?

And on the opposing end, who made the decision to confront them? You, in the first place, made that decision. Who supported, assisted and aided this movement and this option, whether in Lebanon or in Syria or in the region or in the Islamic Republic of Iran? We have to remember. It’s only been two years and history has already been forged. We are not talking about the past forty years. Who fought along both sides of the eastern range, in Zabadani and in Qalamoun? Who fought in Joroud Arsal and Qalamoun? Who fought in al-Qusayr, the villages of al-Qusayr and Tell Mando? Who made these changes?

We should remember that the Syrian army and the resistance fighters were the ones fighting since the beginning. At that point, the Lebanese army was not allowed to act. The battles went on for years. We are not celebrating victory of the last few weeks in the Joroud battle. We are celebrating the Second Liberation that resulted in regaining all the Lebanese territory and expelled the terrorists from all the Syrian territory opposite the Lebanese border.

The Syrian Arab army and the resistance fighters fought from the beginning until the last few weeks of the Joroud battle. The Joroud is the area you are now living on. During the first stage, the Nusra Front [Jabhat al-Nusra] was expelled by the Syrian army and the resistance. Then Daesh was expelled. Then came the brave official Lebanese decision to enter the battle, which was dubbed the ‘Dawn of the Joroud’. We called the battle on the Syrian side of the frontier ‘If You Return, We Will Return’ because we knew that this was the final stage. The name, ‘If You Return, We Will Return’, did not come out of nothing. It means that the battle will be over and that we are remaining here, and if you return we will return as well.

Therefore, we should remember the Lebanese army, the establishment, the leadership, the officers, the soldiers, the martyrs, the fighters and the wounded fighting alongside the resistance and the Syrian Arab Army during the final stages of the battle. This is just to be fair. However, today, when one recalls this great Lebanese national victory, the resistance and the Syrian army are left out. This is a lack of gratitude. This is denying the existence of the scorching sun in the middle of a hot day. This is ungratefulness and a denial. This attitude does not diminish the importance of the sacrifices of the resistance and the Syrian army, but rather reflects a level of moral and political degradation of these ungrateful people.

You, the people gathered here today, are the people of truth and righteousness. You know the truth and thank those behind it. You are the people who paved the way for this victory. We celebrate this victory to remind the whole world. We mark it so that those who know the truth show their gratitude and to let the ungrateful know that their denial will not affect the region’s equations that result in victories and achievements.

Here, we must also remember American efforts aimed at preventing the Lebanese state from joining the Dawn of the Joroud battle and obstructing Hezbollah from fighting this battle. The Americans not only asked the Lebanese state not to take part in the Dawn of the Joroud battle, in the decisive battle against Daesh, but also asked it to prevent Hezbollah from fighting this decisive and final battle. But the official decision, which I described as courageous, was to take part. This indicates that the Americans were not concerned about the region or the people of the region or its security. This also underscores the fact that they were the ones who created Daesh as Trump admitted. They are the ones who are still protecting and taking advantage of Daesh. Therefore, I want to point out here that the danger still exists somewhere.

Look, the Americans are now working to revive Deash in Iraq. After getting rid of Daesh, large parliamentary blocs in Iraq’s Council of Representatives proposed legislation that would require the Iraqi government to expel US troops from the country. And there is a debate in the Council of Representatives in Iraq regarding this matter. Daesh was the argument for the return of US troops to Iraq, and now they are working to revive Daesh in order to have a pretext to remain in Iraq. A few days ago, we heard US officials saying that Daesh is beginning to regain strength in Iraq and Syria. This is a dangerous sign indicting that this project is not over. We subdued the danger to a large extent. But the American threat to the countries and people of our region through Daesh and other terrorist groups still exists. It was the Americans that transported some of the remaining Daesh militants from Iraq and Syria, especially non-Arabs, to Afghanistan. The Iraqis and the Afghans have pictures that document this. They [the Americans] set up Daesh bases. In Afghanistan, when Daesh come under siege, as in Iraq, US helicopters come to rescue their leaders. This is part of the American vision for Afghanistan’s near future, which is based on bringing back the civil war to Afghanistan. I do not want to go into details about this because there is not enough time.

In any case, today on the Second Liberation anniversary we must be proud of this great victory and achievement. We feel safe and secure with dignity and pride and without gratitude to the Americans and others. But we must remain vigilant because the wound is still fresh.

Following the liberation of the Joroud and the expulsion of the armed groups, we continued fighting this battle alongside the Syrian army and the rest of our allies. Today, I tell the people of the Bekaa and to all of Lebanon, Daesh is far away today. It is far from our country after being expelled from these areas, from Palmyra [Tadmor], from the vicinity of Damascus, from the Yarmouk [refugee] camp and the Syrian desert. We are talking about 50,000 square kilometers stretching to Deir ez-Zor and Albu Kamal as well as territory east of the Euphrates. Also the Nusra Front, which was here in the Joroud, is as far from Lebanon and the Lebanese border as possible thanks to the achievements of the Syrian army and its allies. The entire northern countryside of Hama and Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib have also been liberated because of the Syrian army’s advances and superiority there. These distances keep the threat away from Lebanon. This also carries very important consequences for Syria, politically, morally, from a security standpoint and economically. This means that Syria is moving steadily towards the final victory, God willing.

Ultimately, today Syria’s state, leadership, army and public opinion are at their peak and on the way to regaining strength and capabilities to create achievements and victories.

Eventually, Idlib will return to the Syrian state. Eventually, the territory east of the Euphrates will return to the Syrian state. And those fighting there have had their experiences with being abandoned by the Americans once before. Yesterday the Americans abandoned them again, even if it was just for ten kilometers of land. They will find that their only refuge is to return to the arms of the state in Syria.

This is all happening if we look at it from a Lebanese perspective. I will not speak about the perspective of the axis of resistance now. This means that the terrorist and Takfiri threats, at least the military threat, are hundreds of kilometers away from our borders. We must remember that this would not have happened without the sacrifices, the martyrs, the wounded and the continuous fighting.

At this point in time, we should thank the Syrian leadership, the army and the Syrian people who are also fighting. For your information, in the Zabadani area, in Qalamoun, in al-Qusayr and in the recent battles of the Joroud, it was not only the Syrian army fighting with us along the Syrian front. Young Syrian men – that is popular forces and formations – who are the residents of Zabadani, Qalamoun and al-Qusayr also fought with us and some were martyred. We must thank them for all these sacrifices. We should also thank the Islamic Republic of Iran, which stood with us and with Syria throughout the history of the resistance and during this battle leading up to the fight for Joroud.

Hence, the second point is that the threat is far away. However, on an emotional, political, military or security level we should behave as if there is no more threat.

The third point: when the Joroud battle ended, I announced on more than one occasion that we have cleared the border [of militants] and said that this is now the responsibility of the Lebanese army and the Lebanese state. But as a precaution, we remained on the Syrian side. Here, I must tell the Lebanese people that upon our request the Syrian army maintained its extensive deployment in hundreds of locations along the border from Zabadani to Qalamoun to other areas as a precautionary measure against the return of terrorists or Takfiris to our lands and our borders.

We were jointly present in hundreds of locations with the Syrian army only as a precaution. For a year and a half, thousands were stationed in these locations in harsh weather conditions. We all remember last year how cold it was. But a few months ago, after assessing the situation, especially that the people of Zabadani, Qalamoun and some villages in al-Qusayr have returned, we reached a conclusion that there is no longer a need for so many posts that are draining the Syrian army and our young men as well as expenses and capabilities, etc. Thus, the deployment was reduced to the amount that would maintain security along the border from the Syrian side and prevent any infiltration attempts into Lebanon. This is what we called repositioning. But we are still in this area. Our leadership structure and a part of our forces are still there. When the need arises, thousands of forces can simply deploy there, although the areas on both the Syrian and Lebanese sides, enjoy security, safety and stability. There are restaurants there and tourism. People are returning. Normal life returned to those areas.

The fourth point is related to the outcomes following the liberation. In the two years leading up to the liberation, we hoped that the state would have a different approach toward this area because this area defended Lebanon. If Daesh and Nusra were able to take control of the Baalbek-Hermel area, all of the Bekaa would have fallen. Daesh and Nusra would then have been in the Lebanese coastal cities. This is how this area and its residents should be seen by the Lebanese people, the Lebanese state and Lebanese state institutions, including the services sector, security, military and political sectors. The residents formed a front with the blood of their sons, which resulted in victory for Lebanon. I will talk about this later in the part that concerns the Bekaa. I must also point out and remind everyone of the responsibility of the Lebanese state towards the thousands of Lebanese people residing in the villages of al-Qusayr. They have suffered for decades and are still suffering from the neglect of the Lebanese state. When the whole area fell during this particular battle, it was these people who maintained a foothold from which the Syrian army and the resistance began to bring about this tremendous change and establish this victory. This should also be mentioned when talking about the battle.

I move to the second point, which includes some concerns and issues in the Bekaa. There are three main concerns. I will summarize because there are many concerns. The first is the security concern. We should always emphasize that it is the state’s responsibility to provide security for the area. It is the responsibility of the army, the security apparatus and the government. I have always told you on many previous occasions that we should not allow anyone to push for Hezbollah or any political party in the area to take responsibility for providing security. This is not in the interest of the region or the security of the region or in the interest of the resistance. In fact, this has pushed for tribal and internal fighting. Therefore, when some incidents happen, we get hurt and sometimes we do get angry, but our insight, awareness and way of thinking are greater than our anger and emotions. We realize that this is trap and an ambush that we should not fall into. It is not permissible for the residents of the area to be pushed towards this trap.

Our responsibility is to continue calling on the state to take responsibility. The army came to the area. Some incidents took place there lately. There were complaints regarding the degree of seriousness. We, once again, spoke with His Excellency the President and with the army command. We demanded that the government take full responsibility in the area. I tell the people and the officials, it is not permissible for the people of the Bekaa to be told that this does not concern us. This is not the logic of a state or the logic of state officials. People with such a mindset should not bear the responsibility of a state. They can only be useful in running a corner. The Bekaa is part of the country. It is precisely the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel that have preserved this state as the south preserved it for decades. The state should take full responsibility. Some say this will lead to certain sacrifices. This is the responsibility of the state, the army, and the security services. Sacrifices are made for social security, national security and general security. When the Joroud was liberated, was it done by delivering speeches and issuing statements and slogans or by blood and sacrifices? When south of Lebanon was liberated, was it done by delivering speeches and issuing statements and slogans or by blood and sacrifices?

Anyone who is not willing to make sacrifices to preserve the security and safety of the people in all Lebanese areas, especially in the Bekaa, should apologize and resign. Let someone who is ready to take responsibility replace him. Of course, residents in the area also have to take part in controlling their children, their families and their tribesmen. People should not be neutral. I will talk about this responsibility in a bit. The second concern is sympathizing with the tiredness and suffering of the army when they make mistakes. I will be very honest and brave. I am addressing you, our people in the Bekaa and Hermel. The Lebanese army, its officers and soldiers as well as the security services are on the ground. They are not infallible. They work according to the law and have specific training. But they may make mistakes. We should not keep shouting and asking for the army to intervene in so and so. There is fighting between two families that lasted a couple of nights and we want the army to intervene. Then, let us suppose the army made a mistake or according to our assessment it made a mistake, then all hell breaks loose.

No, frankly we must be more understanding because people are not infallible. Of course, we must tell the army command that you are a disciplined institution. If an officer or a soldier made a mistake, he should be held accountable. You must prevent the mistake from happening. But the mistake must not turn into a popular cover for the army because that is what criminals in the area want. This is what the people who want to disrupt order in the area want. You have no alternative in the area for the Lebanese army and the security services. When we ask the army and the security services to sacrifice for us, we must stand by them and protect them. If they made a mistake, we have to be understanding and address the wrongdoing within the legal, political, national and responsible framework. This is with regard to the security concerns. 

Of course, I see the comments and read a lot of the comments on social networking sites regarding some of the crimes that are happening. Because there is a problem in the development and services in the region, let us blame this sector. This is not right. This is ingratitude. In some of the crimes and murders, the perpetrators are wealthy. They have hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are people that have hundreds of thousands of dollars and have killed. Are these people deprived? Are they hungry? Are they poor? No, some of the crimes committed are due to ignorance, tribalism, personal anger and hatred. They have nothing to do with the culture of the area, or its identity or its morals. Not everything we put on the peg of deprivation and neglect. Thus, this must be looked into and addressed. Not everything is a consequence of deprivation and neglect.

The second is the developmental concern. During the parliamentary elections, we made a promise and we are still keeping it although the country has been disrupted for a year without a parliament or a government. However, ever since the parliament and the government began working, the MPs have been seriously following all the projects that serve this area. We also formed a team involving the highest levels of Hezbollah’s leadership to support the MPs’ efforts and the region in this direction. There is no doubt that there have been achievements that were recorded and that there will be more achievements, God willing. These projects are being followed up on especially following the Cedar (CEDRE) Conference. Our brothers the MPs as well as the deputies of Baalbek-Hermel, Hezbollah, Amal and all our allies and friends will follow up on every detail – if the Americans do not disrupt anything. Of course, there are matters that need redoubling the political efforts. For example today, we insist on creating a development council in Baalbek-Hermel and we consider it a natural gateway for future projects and aid even from outside the budget.

The joined committees started serious debate on this matter.  There are different views among members of the parliamentary committees. So we told them we told them that we are only demanding for Baalbek-Hermel and a Council for Development and Reconstruction for the Akkar region. They asked about the Bekaa. We told them let it be the Council for Development and Reconstruction for Baalbek-Hermel- Zahle. We are interested in development. We are interested in installing this natural gate for development. Some might say that we should reconsider all the structural engineering and services in Lebanon. There is no problem. Reconsider at your own pace until then. And if you want consider temporary, so be it pending the final structure. But we fear that we will wait for the final structure one year, two, ten, twenty and thirty years. Then, we will be left without a developmental structure for the Bekaa region and Baalbek-Hermel in particular.

In any case, this matter needs more political efforts from all the parliamentary blocs and political parties. I just want to tell you, brothers and sisters, our duty is to strive to the best of our abilities. And we promised you to do our best. But you must know that we are facing real obstacles. This state is riven by corruption. It is a state built on sectarian and regional quotas. Unfortunately, these quotas exist within each sect. This is sad and shameful. Sometimes, we come across outbursts of idealism that have nothing to do with the people’s suffering, pain, hunger and troubles. We also need to address this. We will continue our efforts and record achievements. 

And I tell you today in the most transparent way: If at any point we reach a dead-end because of corruption or quotas or people not respecting the needs of others, we will come to you and resort to you. Then, you will take responsibility. So far we do not need this. But there may come a time when we do need it. On that day, we will not stage a sit-in in Baalbek. We will not stage a sit-in in Hermel. We will not cut off the roads of Baalbek-Hermel and Zahle. By doing so, we are just cutting off our own roads. On that day, we will stage a sit-in in the right place. We will be where we should be and your voice will be loud and resounding. So far, we have not reached this point. But we may come to this point due to the occasional lack of responsibility that we face as well as the lack of awareness regarding the problems the region is facing at some levels in the state.

The following will be the last point regarding the concerns in the Bekaa. Then, I will talk about the “Israeli” topic within the regional picture. I believe that there is something deliberate going on in Lebanon on social media, some media outlets and among some people. At the very least, we know that there is something called the electronic armies. These armies interfere on social media at any juncture or incident. Some might agree or disagree, but I find that there are those people deliberately distorting the image of the Bekaa region as well as Baalbek-Hermel region. They are distorting the image of the residents of these areas due to a crime committed by a certain person or someone disobeyed someone. This exists with all people, all areas and all families. The whole country is afflicted with bad people and criminals.

Today crimes, murders and inhumane practices committed by individuals exist within all sects and across all areas. But why is it when an incident takes place in Baalbek-Hermel, the commotion lasts for several days and there is an attempt to ruin the image of this region? The people of Baalbek-Hermel and the Bekaa have the largest share of sacrifices, blood and martyrs. They bore the burden of this battle. Today, on the anniversary of the Second Liberation, we reject the defamation of this area.

I am not complementing you. I have lived with you. And I am still in contact with you. At the very least, we in Hezbollah have a very large number of brothers from all the regions who work together, whether along the fronts and fields of sacrifice, in offices or in the camps within the organizational framework. We know what matters to the people of this region, its tribes and families most. It is honor, dignity, pride, nobility, generosity, chivalry, a willingness to sacrifice, fervor and protecting the neighbor. That is why we used to find people and young men of this area along all fronts. What brought the people of Baalbek-Hermel to Bint Jbeil, Al-Khiam, al-Taybe and along the lines of contact during the resistance’s battles in 1982 as well as during all the battles to defend the region and its people? There are martyrs from Baalbek who fell in Deir ez-Zour, Abu Kamal, Aleppo, Damascus, Sayyida Zainab and across the region. I know that given any challenge, the people of the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel and their men would not withhold blood or money when called upon to fight in the defense of the sanctities and the holy sites of this nation.

Why do some people insist on this image? This has to do with the region, its political and jihadist identities. This defamation should be confronted. The government should confront it. This is not an opinion. There are people in this area who are being insulted and defamed. Writers and pundits should be held legally accountable. Otherwise, no one has a problem taking matters into their own hands, especially when it involves honor. But I tell our honorable people in the area, you also have a responsibility. I invite you to look into the following proposal. Every tribe and family has elders, scholars and influencers. Why are you silent? Why do we keep silent about individuals who ruin the reputation of the family, the tribe or the area? There are many great names and men of knowledge, expertise, religion, honor and morals who belong to the tribes. But today the general impression of the country is that when the name of a certain family is mentioned, people with bad reputation come to mind. You must defend the reputation of your families and tribes by being responsible towards abusive members in your tribes and families, besiege them, isolate them and pressure them. At the very least, sit down and discuss ways to defeat these bad phenomena that harm the families, the tribes and eventually the people of this area.

I move on to the “Israel” topic. What happened last night is very dangerous. I will explain the seriousness of the situation because the declared position should be in parallel with the event and the level of danger. No one should underestimate the issue or take it lightly. Later, we will analyze. Last night, a drone entered the skies of Dahiyeh [Beirut’s southern suburbs]. It was a military drone. We have it. And perhaps we will show it to the media later on. Also we will have to reach an understanding with the authorities on how to deal with this issue. It is clear from the debris of the second drone that it was not the type of aircraft that can be rented here in the cities and villages to film weddings and parties. No, it is a regular military aircraft, at least two meters in length. This is a proper military manufacturing.

At night, the first drone entered the area it was targeting. It entered a certain road in Mouawad neighborhood in Dahiyeh. The first drone was a reconnaissance aircraft. It was on a recon mission because it was not equipped with explosives. It was flying low, between buildings. This means it was trying to photograph an accurate picture of the intended target.

As Hezbollah’s media sources or media outlets reported, we did not shoot down the drone. But when young locals saw a two-meter-drone flying low between the buildings – the more transparently and honestly we speak, the easier it will be to understand. One should rely on facts, not illusions and inventions – they started throwing stones at the drone until it crashed. It may have fallen as a result of technical malfunction or as a result of having been pelted with stones. It was hit by one of the stones, and this is evident in the hull of the aircraft. 

The drone crashed. Shortly after, maybe a minute or two later, the second drone came offensively and struck a certain place. It is not that the second drone was flying and suffered a technical malfunction and was detonated in mid-air. No! What happened last night was an attack by a suicide drone against a target in Beirut’s southern suburbs in Lebanon.

This is the most accurate and fact-based description. Having no martyrs or wounded does not diminish the seriousness of the attack. Of course, there were more than one building that was damaged. There was broken glass. The balconies and furniture of houses and offices were destroyed. 

It was an explosion. A large segment of Dahiyeh’s residents heard it. It was not a small explosion. This is an attack by a suicide drone against a target in Dahiyeh. This is the first hostile action since August 14, 2006. Because a couple of years ago it was disputed whether the strike that took place in Jenta occurred on Lebanese or Syrian territory.

But this is a clear and public aggression. Today, of course, the “Israeli” media is talking about two suicide drone attacks or a suicide drone attack that targeted Dahiyeh.

Now someone in the country or in the Arab world might speak on satellite channels and say that this is an internal and a local story and that drones are sold in the markets. No! We will show it to you, God willing. Then you can be certain that they are not drones sold in the markets. The “Israelis” implicitly and through the media admit that they practically carried out an airstrike.

This is a violation of the rules of engagement established after the July war. It is the first clear and big violation. I don't want to talk about the rest of the violations in the sky and on land. Those were ignored. But this is a very big and serious violation. 

We consider Netanyahu to be very confused when he made this decision thinking that it will be ignored, especially, perhaps when someone would come out and say, thank God there are no martyrs and no wounded, only material things were destroyed.

It is not a matter of violation. Listen to me well. Let the Lebanese listen carefully. If we remain silent over this violation, it will pave the way for a very dangerous path for Lebanon. This means that every two or three days a car bomb would show up – sorry, not a car bomb – a suicide drone with explosives will target this building, that place, this field, that farm, this mosque or that compound. And people will say that God only knows where this drone came from.

This means a repetition of the Iraq scenario taking place now. From now on, and let everybody listen to me well because what we are talking about is accurate. There is a scenario that has been playing out in Iraq in recent weeks. Storehouses belonging to the Hashd Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Units (PMU)] in different provinces are being bombed by drones. Whether the drone fired a missile or crashed itself will be revealed by the investigation. 

The first explosion, the second explosion, the third explosion, the fourth explosion and “Israel” hints to and take pride in its responsibility for this because Netanyahu needs this and I will talk about it a little bit.

This is how it is in Iraq. The first drone, second, third, fourth and maybe there are five drones. They continue like this. The Iraqis know how to deal with it. The Iraqi government, the Iraqi army, the Hash Shaabi, the Iraqi people – this is their business. I do not interfere in their decisions. But as far as things go for us in Lebanon, we will not allow such a thing. This is not allowed. You are familiar with our record. We will do what ever we can to prevent such a thing. We will do anything that may prevent such a thing. 

The Lebanese state does its responsibility to condemn. It is a good thing. It considers what happened in Dahiyeh an aggression is a good thing. It files a complaint to the UN Security Council. It is a good thing. It talks with the Americans the Europeans. It is a good thing. But these will not stop the dangerous course that will devastate Lebanon again, and will return it to the period before 2000. We, in the Islamic Resistance, will not allow such a course at any cost. 
The time when “Israeli” aircraft come and bombard parts of Lebanon and the entity usurping Palestine remains safe is over. That is the past. Today, I read that the “Israeli” army is telling the residents of the north, "there is nothing. Go about your daily lives.” 

Today from the town of al-Ain in the Bekaa on the second anniversary of the Second Liberation when we defeated Daesh and Nusra, America and “Israel’s” people in Lebanon, I say to the residents of the north and to all the inhabitants of occupied Palestine: Do not live, do not rest, do not be reassured and do not bet for a moment that Hezbollah will allow such a course and aggression of this kind.

The first response, here you have to listen to me carefully, the first response will be the following. It need a little bit of explanation. From 2000 and later from 2006, we put up with the drones in the Lebanese skies. We could have shot them, but we did not so that no one in Lebanon comes out and say Hezbollah wants to start a problem. Hezbollah wants to drag the country into a confrontation. Hezbollah is harming tourism and the economy. They hold us accountable for everything.  

So we said despite everything that is happening, it is fine. Drones are not only a violation of sovereignty, they are also a total security breach. People in the villages hear the annoying “Israeli” drones up close. And no one lifted a finger from 2000 until 2019.

To the state, the government and the people, do you remember? During a lot of the addresses I raised this issue and say ‘do us a favor and find a solution.’ If the international resolution issued on the July war prevents “Israeli” violations, why then don’t they stop? From now I tell you: in our view, the “Israeli” drones that enter Lebanon no longer just violate our sovereignty. They no longer just gather intelligence. These are now suicide drones that execute killing and bombing operations. And we, therefore, have the right to – now it is a matter of procedure, maybe not every day, every week, every hour, this is will be a tactical matter. But I say this loud and clear, and I know some people will be upset. Let them be upset! Let them be upset! From now on, we will confront the “Israeli” drones in the skies of Lebanon. When the “Israeli” drones enter the skies of Lebanon, we will shoot them down. Let the “Israelis” take note. From now on, we will not wait for anyone in the universe. We will not accept our cities, our villages our sovereignty and our security to be violated. This is over. 

"If there is anyone in Lebanon who is keen on not making problems, let them talk with the Americans who will in turn tell the “Israelis” to ‘move along’.  

The second thing that I must also pause for is what happened in Syria. I will talk about these two points and conclude with Netanyahu and a word to the “Israelis” who are going to the elections.

Yesterday in Syria, there was an aerial bombardment that targeted one of the houses in the town of Aqraba on the outskirts of Damascus. Netanyahu took pride in what he did. He and the “Israeli” army declared that the target was a center belonging to the Quds Force and the Iranians. They presented themselves as national courageous heroes. 

He is lying to the “Israeli” people, if there is a people, to the settlers who occupy are occupying Palestine. He is lying to his people. He is selling them nonsense and contradicting facts. 

“Israel’s” air force did not bomb a center belonging to the Quds Force yesterday. It bombed a center belonging to Hezbollah. It was a house and not a military post. It was a house where young men usually stay to rest. There were only Lebanese young men belonging to Hezbollah in the place that was bombed. At that place at night martyr Hassan Yousef Zbib and martyr Yasser Ahmad Daher were martyred. 

You, Netanyahu and the “Israel” Army, you know we are not kidding. And all the past years, we weren't kidding. After the martyrdom of our brothers and loved one in Quneitra, you saw that we were not kidding. A few days ago, I was not kidding. We said if you kill any of our brothers from Hezbollah – the Lebanese, so that no one tells us they targeted Syrians or Iranians or Iraqis – you are staring a problem with us in Lebanon. No! Those who were killed were brothers and loved ones. These are our children, people from our villages, from our families. These are our young men. You know we have a clear commitment. I will remind the whole world of this commitment: “If ‘Israel’ kills any of our brothers in Syria, we will retaliate in Lebanon, not in the Shebaa Farms. I say to the “Israeli” army along the border: Starting tonight, you should stand on a leg and a half and wait for us. Wait for us, a day, two, three, four. Wait for us. And I tell the “Israelis”, not only the border – here we have two topics that became one … eventually, if you ignore what happened in Syria, the first topic is enough to behave differently. That is why, no, what happened last night will not pass. We will not let it pass. 

What I want to tell the “Israelis”, Netanyahu is heading towards elections. The “Israeli” political parties used to hold elections over the blood of the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Syrians, the Iraqis and the rest of the people in the region. This time around, however, Netanyahu is holding elections over your blood, oh “Israelis”. He is playing with your blood. He is drawing fire to you from everywhere. What business does he have in Iraq? Why is he striking the Hashd Shaabi’s storehouses in Iraq? He is bringing upon you fire from Iraq and Syria, and now from Lebanon. As for Palestinian fire, it is already there because of your siege on Gaza, your aggression against the West Bank and your arrogance against the Palestinian people. This man is scared of the results of the election. This man is facing corruption charges and is awaiting trial. His fate is either the Premiership or prison. He does no have a problem holding the elections with people’s blood. Netanyahu, oh “Israelis”, is leading you to the edge of the abyss. He might push you to the abyss if he continues working this way and with this mentality. 

Dear brothers and sisters, on this precious anniversary, we the Lebanese, the army, the resistance, the security apparatus, the state, the political forces, all the sects, areas, families and tribes, created our security in the Bekaa, in the south and in Lebanon with their bare hands. We created our safety with our hands, with the blood of our soldiers and our resistance fighters. We endured the brunt of Lebanon being an oasis of peace and security in all this region which is being destroyed by America and American’s minions in the region. We will not allow the clock to be turned back. We will not allow Lebanon to become permissible to bombardment, killing, explosions or its sanctities to be violated. This is a red line to us, and we must all take responsibility.

We hope that there will be a unified, strong, bold and courageous national position. Returning to the divisions will not do anything. On the contrary, it will hurt the country. With the blessing of these victories and from a position of strength, foresight and awareness, we will defend our country’s border, the southern border, the eastern border, the northern border and the maritime border. Now, we will defend our skies with what we have as required by wisdom, responsibility and interest. This is the new stage the enemy imposed. We are up to the task.

If it is betting that somewhere we have weakness or debility and it was happy with the financial and economic blockade, then it does not know us. We are ready to starve but to remain dignified. This is how we have been through out history. We sell our home and fight. But we do not allow anyone to violate our dignity, sovereignty, pride and presence in Lebanon and the region. This is the martyrs’ message today. This is the message of martyr Sayyed Abbas al-Muossawi, our teacher and mentor. This is the message of our martyrs from the Bekaa and from the town of Al-Ain. The martyrs of Bekaa carried this banner in all the fields.

I sent this message today on your behalf. It is clear, unequivocal and unthinkable. It is not open to interpretations or thinking. We are before a new stage, and everyone should take responsibility in the new stage with us at the forefront.

Many Happy Return. Peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you, O good folks.