Sheikh Naim Qassem: Hezbollah Does Not Seek War with “Israel”, But Won’t Tolerate Any Aggression

By Staff, Agencies

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem says the Lebanese resistance movement does not seek a military confrontation with the Tel Aviv regime, but would not stand any act of aggression by the "Israeli" military on Lebanon’s soil.

“Lebanese people are confident that Hezbollah will always be on their side, and the movement will utilize all means at its disposal to assist the public,” Sheikh Qassem said in an interview with Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Nour radio station on Friday.

He described Hezbollah’s recent retaliation against “Israeli” shelling and airstrikes on southern Lebanon with a rocket barrage as a well-developed plan anchored in precise instructions.

Sheikh Qassem highlighted that the Lebanese resistance movement will never use people as human shields or for political purposes, and pays meticulous attention whenever it wants to take a decision. 

Hezbollah announced in a statement that its units hit “open fields” near "Israeli" positions at 11:15 a.m. local time [0815 GMT] on August 6, using “dozens” of 122mm caliber rockets.

“We wanted to tell the enemy … that any airstrike by the "Israeli" air force on Lebanon will inevitably draw a response, though in a suitable and proportionate way, because we want to serve the purpose of protecting our country,” he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sheikh Qassem described attempts by certain parties to establish the United States’ and the "Israeli" entity’s dominance over Lebanon as the root cause of the Arab nation’s worsening crisis, emphasizing that Hezbollah will stand against such bids.

“Ever since Hezbollah was established, the resistance movement has worked for [Lebanon’s] social, moral and political solidarity. It firmly believes that the group should confront 'Israel' militarily, and the results of such resilience should be tapped to cement social and political solidarity.

“People’s interest in Hezbollah stems from their trust in the resistance movement, and the fact that the group will never leave them in a difficult situation without any help. We are doing everything we can to help them. However, we do not have enough resources to solve the current crisis. Certain groups are trying to leave all the blame at our door and don't want to address the government’s incompetence,” the senior Hezbollah official said.

Last week, Hezbollah Secretary-General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Lebanese resistance movement does not pursue war, but is not afraid of one either since it is certain about its chances of victory.

Sayyed Nasrallah described the August 6 retaliation as only a fraction of what Hezbollah is capable of carrying out, saying the group has a reliable array of defensive choices at its disposal in case of a conflict.

“Our response was linked to the "Israeli" strikes that occurred in south Lebanon for the first time in 15 years,” His Eminence said on Saturday in a televised speech ahead of the anniversary of the victory over the "Israeli" entity in the 2006 war.