Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech at the Memorial Ceremony for the Late Hajj Mohammad Hassan Yaghi

Translated by Al-Ahed News, Hezbollah Media Relations

The speech of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah at the memorial ceremony for the late former MP Hajj Mohammad Hassan Yaghi “Abu Salim” [5-1-2024].

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem 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.

God Almighty says in His Glorious Book:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{Those whose souls the angels take while they are virtuous, saying ‘to them’, “Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you used to do.”}

God Almighty also says:

{And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be in the company of those blessed by Allah: the prophets, the people of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous – what honorable company!}

Allah Almighty is Truthful

We bear witness that you, dear beloved leader and late Hajj, were obedient to God, to His Messenger, and to those who believed. In this meeting, I renew my condolences to all of you, the honorable attendees, our people in the Beqaa, the sons of our faith and jihad journey, the sons and the supporters of the resistance, and especially the honorable family members of the deceased. I thank them for what they said a little while ago, and we always know of their love, good faith, loyalty, and sincerity.

At the beginning of the speech, we must extend our condolences to the martyrs in Kerman, the people visiting the great leader Hajj Qassem Soleimani. We extend our condolences to His Eminence Imam Khamenei, the dear Iranian people, the officials in the Islamic Republic, and the families of these martyrs whose blood was not [spilled] in vain. We heard in the media that the Daesh terror organization claimed responsibility for this attack. I will talk about Daesh in my address. I ask God Almighty to bestow on the martyrs high ranks and health and a speedy recovery for the wounded.

We must also turn to our brothers in Iraq, the wise religious authority, the Iraqi leaders, the Iraqi people, the resistance factions in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Units [PMU], and al-Nujaba Movement in particular, on the martyrdom of brother and leader Abu Taqwa, Hajj Mushtaq Al-Saeedi. Him and another brother were martyred in a direct American attack on their car while they were traveling inside the PMU headquarters. I will also get back to this matter.

As usual, my address will be divided into several parts; one part is about the occasion. Another part is about the southern front in southern Lebanon and northern occupied Palestine. Perhaps this is the first time we have an opportunity to talk about the subject. One part is about the developments in the region, including Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine. In the final part, I would like to address the families of the martyrs, the displaced, the steadfast, the wounded, the fighters, and the environment of resistance in Lebanon. ‏

1- We have always known our dear and beloved brother, Hajj Mohammad Yaghi, as Hajj Abu Salim. I will keep calling him Hajj Abu Salim, even though he is Abu Hussein. He was Abu Salim and will remain so. My testimony about him is tangible. It is not passed down from one person to another. I have known him since we were young. We met each other in 1978. I was about 18 or 19, and Hajj Abu Salim was about 19 or 20.

Just a few hours after meeting we developed a brotherhood and friendship, affection, great love, and complete trust. Ever since he was a young man, Hajj Abu Salim, was a mujahid, a hard worker, a revolutionary, and an activist in his environment, starting from the city of Baalbek.

Every person looks up to a leader and an inspiration. For Hajj Abu Salim, Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr was his first inspiration. I must talk about this acquaintance to confirm my testimony about him.

I joined the hawza [seminary] in Baalbek, which was founded by our master and teacher, the master of the martyrs of our resistance Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, and with the seminary in Baalbek. Communication occurred with the entire popular environment in the Beqaa, especially at the popular and the organizational levels, within the framework that was mainly active at that stage in the Amal Movement.

As is known, there was coordination between Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, head of the hawza, and our dear brother Sayyed Abu Hisham, who was at the top position in the Amal Movement in the Beqaa at that time. There was coordination and consensus for the preaching and cultural activity in the towns and within the organization.

This was the beginning of the relationship between me and brother Abu Salim. We met in the first organizational group in the city of Baalbek. He was the organizational leader of the group, and the group included a number of brothers, some of whom died as martyrs, such as the martyr leader Hajj Hassan Al-Laqis, and some of whom we lost a while ago, such as our dear deceased brother Hajj Salah Noun. Most of these brothers who were young men and members of this group later became officials in the Amal Movement before 1982 and in Hezbollah after 1982.

From that moment, that relationship began. We stayed together, and we’ve been working together since 1978, i.e. more than 40 years of this long companionship. We used to go to towns and still talk about the period 1978-79. We used to go to the towns at night, Hajj Abu Salim and I, in one car. We were driven by one of our dear brothers, who I hope is still alive. We went from town to town.

His responsibility was to provide political assessment and analysis, and mine was to deliver a religious and cultural lecture. We continued together even before 1982 within the framework of the [Amal] movement, and we advanced together in assuming responsibility.

In the first region in the Beqaa region at that time, Hajj Abu Salim was the organizational official for the region, and I was the cultural official there.

In 1981, Hajj Abu Salim was the organizational official for the Beqaa region in the Amal Movement, and I was the political official in the region. At this stage, a close and strong relationship – I will talk later about Hezbollah – between him and martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi developed.

From his spiritual relationship with Imam Musa al-Sadr and his emotional and cultural relationship with martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, an intellectual and spiritual relationship with Imam Sayyed Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr arose from a distance, as is the case with most of the young believers in Lebanon.

He loved Imam Sayyed Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr. When the Imam was martyred, Hajj Abu Salim was very affected and wept a lot over his passing. My brothers and I, the young men of Baalbek, remember how, for years, he kept repeating an immortal and well-known poem in internal sessions and on some occasions with his nice voice. [Excerpt of poem] ‘May peace be upon you, Baqir al-Sadr. […] You woke us up. How would you fall asleep? You swore you would never sleep.’

Hajj Abu Salim reacted strongly to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran under the leadership of Imam Khomeini and heard the words of martyr al-Sadr: “Dissolve in Khomeini, just like Khomeini dissolved in Islam.”

The path of Hajj Abu Salim and every brother and sister among us, as I said on more than one occasion, was with Imam Musa al-Sadr, with martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, with martyr Sayyed Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr. This path definitely leads to Imam Khomeini and to the divine historical leadership of Imam Khomeini.

After 1982, Hajj Abu Salim joined Hezbollah. He joined as a member and not an official or anything. He joined it as a resistance and a mujahid, like many who joined Hezbollah and did not look back at their previous organizational positions in their former parties, frameworks, and entities. These people dissolved in this new path, were devoted to it, and gave the rest of their lives to it; some of them died as martyrs and otherwise, while the rest are still waiting, carrying their blood in their hands and submitting to their God, who is the one who chooses the outcome, the time of death, the place of death, and the method of departure.

Also in Hezbollah, it was our destiny to be together and work together from the beginnings of Hezbollah’s formations in the Beqaa region until the formation of the first Shura in the Beqaa region, which was called the Beqaa region leadership.

By the way, the titles, names, and terminologies in the whole party have changed, except in the Beqaa. The brothers still write it as the leadership of the Beqaa region. I was the region’s officer, and Hajj Abu Salim was the deputy officer. We worked together in that founding phase, and he assumed responsibility for the region immediately after that. At a later stage, he was elected as a member of the decision-making Shura.

At that time, after the election of martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi as the Secretary-General, I assumed the post of head of the Executive Council, and Hajj Abu Salim was the deputy head of the Executive Council. In other words, we were destined to be together, to stay together shoulder to shoulder.

After the martyrdom of Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, I was entrusted with the new task, and Hajj Abu Salim became the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council. After years, he returned to the Beqaa. There is a phenomenon that exists among all or most of our brothers who are officials and leaders that are from the Beqaa. No matter how much time they spend in Beirut, their hearts and souls remain in the Beqaa. Years later, he returned to the Beqaa as either regional officer or a representative in Parliament.

He assumed this responsibility [being an MP] several times – three times or more – and the last time was the longest. Abu Salim, the deceased leader, was always a helper, supporter, assistant, and present to carry out the assignment without hesitation in any position.

We have known him as a big brother, friend, and companion. He was, all throughout this path and since we’ve known him, truthful, loyal, sincere, a mujahid, perseverant, sacrificial, an articulate orator, and a hard worker. He was responsible and carried his blood in the palm of his hand on all roads. He loved martyrdom; he was humble, close to the people, and a servant. He loved his imams, leaders, the mujahideen, the resistance fighters, and the martyrs. His attachment to Imam Khomeini and his love for him were unparalleled, similarly with Imam Khamenei.

But Hajj Abu Salim’s greatest love is Imam al-Zaman [the Imam of the Age] – Imam Mahdi [AS]. His waiting for this great Imam night and day is notable in the life of Hajj Abu Salim. The most beautiful topic he’d talk about is about Imam Mahdi, his appearance, the signs, and his coming days. All the love, passion, awareness, and insight that Hajj Abu Salim possessed produced in him steadfastness and firmness in this line and path. He assumed responsibility in the Beqaa during the most difficult stages – the 1997 strife. You know what I mean by the period of strife.

In 1997, Abu Salim was our official who stood tall to preserve Hezbollah’s unity in the Beqaa region, the cohesion of its supporters, their strength, morale, and steadfastness in those difficult days. There is no need to go back to that.

In the July War, he was also our official in the Beqaa region, with everything the Beqaa went through, including the martyrs it offered, and the massacres its residents endured and the homes that were destroyed. He was also [an MP] during the confrontation with the Takfiris in Syria, in the Jaroud [the barrens], and in the eastern chain during the difficult stage.

His presence in the Beqaa was great, and most of his blessed youth and life was spent serving the Beqaa, its people, the march, and the resistance. They deserve loyalty from Abu Salim and from all of us because our people in the Beqaa always fulfilled their promise and oath at all stages with Imam Musa Al-Sadr, with martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, with all the martyrs, and particularly with Hezbollah since 1982 until today. They did not spare a life, blood, money, or any kind of sacrifice.

Towns, families, and clans in the Beqaa, as in the southern towns and the neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of Beirut [Dahiyeh] mourning the martyrs with a strong presence, great embrace, and insistence on continuing this path – the path of liberation, pride, dignity, and freedom – no matter how great the sacrifices are.

These are some humble testimonies to a great leader and a dear and beloved brother, Hajj Abu Salim. May God be pleased with him. May He have mercy on his soul and high ranks. I ask God Almighty to bestow upon his family patience, solace, and peace. They are worthy of this and have demonstrated that, and they will always be so, God willing.

I move from talking about this reality, this figure, and what he experienced in this march to the reality of the march – to one of its main fronts that has been open for more than ninety days. I move to the second section: the Lebanese front with the enemy, our front in the south, in the north of occupied Palestine.

2- As you’ve notice, I’ve written things down so I can cover all the content within the time available.

On October 8, we entered the battle with the [“Israeli”] enemy on the southern front – I previously explained the reasons and motives, and we might return to them shortly – along more than 100 km – from the sea opposite Naqoura to the heights of the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarchouba Hills. It’s been more than 90 days.

We will talk a little about this front and what happened there because it has not been covered properly by the media. During this phase, all “Israeli” border sites, a large number of rear sites, a large number of settlements, and [“Israeli”] soldiers who took refuge in settlements were targeted in response to the targeting of civilians.

A simple statistic showed that the Islamic Resistance carried out more than 670 operations in three months, 670 operations. On some days, it carried out 23 operations; the average number of military operations per day is between 6 and 7 operations.

48 border sites were targeted. This means that all border sites from Naqoura to the Shebaa Farms had been targeted several times. This is the number of sites. As for the number of targeting of sites, it was 494 times. Rear sites, or sites that come behind the border sites, were 11 sites.

The border points, which the “Israeli” soldiers took refuge, were 50 border points that were targeted more than once, in addition to the confrontations that the air defense force waged with the enemy’s weapons. 17 settlements were also targeted.

What was happening and is still happening? In the first stage, all the border sites were targeted because the enemy army was present in them, and in the first days, it was present in the sites. Of course, many people were killed and wounded. I will return to this topic shortly.

The sites were targeted not only with guided missiles. Guided missiles hit specific targets, i.e. a vehicle, a tank, an observatory, a pillbox. Our brothers, thank God, are skilled shooters who launch a guided missile into the window of a pillbox. You have seen that in documentaries, that is, in the films that have been released.

This was the first stage in which the sites were intensively targeted, and the technical intelligence equipment in all the sites was also targeted. You saw this on television.

Some people might say that you are hitting poles. This means that they either do not know or are ignorant. Them not knowing is a bit better.

We are not hitting the poles, but rather we are hitting the equipment on the poles. This equipment that was damaged and is still being destroyed and which the “Israelis” are trying to rebuild are worth hundreds of millions of dollars and are advance technology. This is not only for information control in the border region but also a large part of Lebanon. The equipment was targeted and completely destroyed.

Even during restoration attempts, the “Israelis” were not able to go to the site and the poles that some people mocked. They did not dare because the resistance fighters were firing them. So, they started coming with cranes and placing the intelligence apparatus on the crane, and the brothers were hitting those devices and targeting them accurately.

In the second stage, the “Israeli” soldiers fled from the sites. Where did they flee? They fled to two places: to the settlements that were evacuated and to the vicinity of the sites. They stayed close to the sites. Why? Because there was a hypothesis that the resistance, Hezbollah, Lebanese resistance factions, or Palestinian resistance factions will attack the sites or occupy them. That hypothesis may still be possible.

That is why they cannot completely evacuate the sites. Some groups must remain there to guard them, and the forces must remain close to the sites in new positions in the outskirts.

We get good information about the positioning of these forces. When you hear in the media that the resistance attacked the position of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of a certain site, this is based on accurate information and sometimes based on photos and films. The brothers target these gatherings in the vicinity of the sites. The targeting is producing results. Why? Because at these sites, the soldiers can take cover in the pillbox. However, in the surrounding areas of these sites – between trees and open areas – they are exposed to our fire. Many videos showing the targeting of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the sites were released.

Many tanks and vehicles have been destroyed. That is why now along the border in all the border sites and in depth within the range of the resistance’s vision, all the “Israeli” tanks and vehicles are hidden and concealed; the officers and soldiers are hiding. You must obtain information in a specific way to be able to target them.

Most of these sites were destroyed. When the resistance attacked all the technical equipment, it certainly disrupted the information briefing and reconnaissance, which they tried to replace with massive drones and American satellites.

Many “Israeli” soldiers and officers were killed and wounded in this confrontation that has been going on for three months. The [Resistance’s] operations were very exhausting for the “Israelis”. That is why they were forced to leave the sites to those places I talked about.

Since the beginning of the battle on the southern front, the enemy has kept a tight lid on the media. They do not report the number of their dead and wounded. 

The Resistance released nearly 90 videos, films from the front, showing tanks being destroyed, a tank exploding with soldiers sitting on them, vehicles being destroyed, a tent with soldiers inside being hit by a missile, a house with soldiers inside and the roof collapsing and no one helping for a long time. We see in the film soldiers being killed and wounded and we see ambulances. However, the enemy does not report the number of dead and wounded.

Of course, this is part of the enemy's policy. This secrecy on the southern front is also part of the broader secrecy. Recently, they have begun talking about the number of dead and wounded, but these are not the real numbers.

In the enemy entity, many experts say that the real number [of casualties] is three times higher than what the “Israelis” are reporting. There is a blatant contradiction.

For example, the army, speaking in general terms, says that since October 7 [Al-Aqsa Flood], approximately 2,000 soldiers have been wounded. It classifies them into serious, moderate, and light injuries. The next day, an official organization that deals with disabled individuals said that since the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, 3,000 soldiers who were disabled due to their injuries were referred to this organization.

If 3000 soldiers were disabled, what is the total number of wounded? Today, sources in the “Israeli” ministry of war say that there may be 12,000 soldiers who have been disabled or are suffering from disabilities since October 7. Where are these people? These are on the Gaza front, the northern front, or the West Bank. They are now revealing things gradually, but on our front, they were certainly keeping quiet.

The brothers tried to scour the Internet and go through some reports and updates from the enemy’s Ministry of Health. In only 8 hospitals in the north – not from all hospitals – the statistics show that there are more than 2000 causalities. 2000 wounded were admitted to these 8 hospitals.

These hospitals say that many of the wounded are hopeless cases or are in moderate or serious condition. Then, it is left to us to estimate the number of dead on this front.

Of course, we understand that the enemy’s secrecy over their losses on our front may be for several reasons, including being part of psychological warfare. When the enemy acknowledges the number of dead and wounded, this will give morale to the resistance fighters, the supporters of the resistance, and our front, which is offering many martyrs.

When they conceal their dead, wounded, and human losses, they only want to harm the morale, will, and determination of this front and open the door to discussion among some about the feasibility of fighting on this front. If you had known the extent of the enemy's losses, including the dead, wounded, tanks, and vehicles, you would not have allowed yourselves to ask about the feasibility of fighting on this front.

Another reason is to avoid embarrassment in front of the “Israeli” community; what is happening on the southern border was described by one of the former war ministers in “Israel” as a real humiliation for “Israel” and the “Israeli” army. What is happening on the front is indeed humiliating. I will talk about some of the headlines shortly. In order not to commit themselves or embarrass themselves with going to a war they know will be very costly and very dangerous and may lead to the explosion of the entire region, they are forced to conceal their human and material losses to reduce the burden of responsibility or claim.

Among the results of the southern Front are those displaced from the “Israeli” settlements. During the latest round of fighting, we did not target civilians – I stress on the word civilians since the entire entity is occupied, they are occupiers. We were striking military targets. Even inside the settlements, we were targeting military vehicles, officers, and soldiers who hid in homes. If we hit homes, it was a response to them targeting our civilians.

But as a result of the confrontation and the terror that spread among the settlers, many abandoned the settlements. Even the enemy reduced the number for the same reasons I mentioned a little while ago. They were talking about 30,000 to 40,000. Suddenly, they started talking about 60,000 to 70,000. A few days ago, in a press conference, Netanyahu spoke about 100,000. After that, American newspapers quoted “Israeli” officials as saying that 230,000 people had abandoned the settlements in northern occupied Palestine.

One of the settlement council officials spoke of 300,000 displaced people from the settlements of occupied Palestine. There is displacement; there is a disruption of the economy, tourism, industry, and agriculture. The north is a very important agricultural region. All of these put pressure on the enemy’s government. These displaced from the settlements are not leaving for one week or two. They were accustomed to not being displaced during all the wars that “Israel” fought. Rather, we were the ones who were displaced. The people of the south and the western Beqaa were the ones who were displaced. The residents of the settlements were not displaced. They were only displaced in the July War.

As for all previous wars, they were not displaced. This displacement will put psychological, moral, economic, political, and security pressure on the enemy’s government, in addition to the state of anxiety prevailing in the north.

Here, I answer a question since we are talking about the northern front. Today, my address will be explanatory. Those who asked about the feasibility and benefit: Why did you open this front? Why are you fighting on this front? Why are you sacrificing all these martyrs? Why do our people in the border villages have to endure this displacement and destruction?

There is no objection in asking these questions, and we are also concerned in answering them. Our value in our journey since 1982 is argument, logic, persuasion, evidence, proof, and facts. We never win people with slogans, enthusiasm, emotion, or separation from reality.

From day one, what did we say? We said that the goal of this front is the same as the goal of the other fronts that were opened in Iraq or Yemen. The front has two goals. The first is to put pressure on the enemy’s government and exhaust the enemy’s army and society and cause pain to stop the aggression against Gaza. We all want to put pressure on this enemy from Lebanon, from Syria, from Iraq, from Yemen, from anywhere because the real goal of these fronts is to stop the aggression against Gaza.

The second goal is to relieve pressure on the Gaza Strip in the combat field situation. What do they want to do? They want to eliminate the resistance in Gaza, eliminate Hamas in Gaza. This means they want to engage in fighting. When you exert pressure from other fronts on the “Israeli” army and government, this will definitely reduce the burden and pressure on the resistance in Gaza. Can these two goals be achieved through the Lebanese front?

Yes. Look at the Lebanese front. We said it before, and we will repeat. Due to fear of developments on the frontline, including the prospects of an all-out war and having the resistance fighters and forces storming into the Galilee region, the enemy was forced to deploy 100,000 soldiers. According to current information, the number is about 120,000 soldiers, officers, entire divisions, and brigades deployed at the border. Where did you pull these soldiers from? Who did you block them from attacking?

You blocked them from attacking the Gaza Strip. The “Israelis” had to bring their tanks and vehicles, half the air force, half the naval force, and half the missile defense force. What is the evidence that this was useful? What did the “Israeli” military spokesman say? When he was explaining why some “Israeli” prisoners were killed in Gaza by “Israeli” soldiers, what did he say?

He said that the reason is that our forces are fighting there. Our brigades have been fighting there for two months and are in a severe state of exhaustion and fatigue. Isn’t this evidence?

If they did not have 120,000 soldiers on the southern border, they would have been able to replace these brigades every two or three times. Their soldiers and officers would not get tired or become exhausted and extremely tired and would commit these mistakes – grave mistakes committed by an army that considers itself professional. It killed “Israeli” prisoners. Many of those killed are killed by friendly fire. In other words, they are making mistakes against each other, shooting each other, and killing each other as a result of fear, fatigue, and exhaustion.

This is evidence and proof. When they recently had to withdraw some divisions during the holidays, they brought a division from the West Bank and not from the southern front, not from northern Palestine. Some protested that the soldiers of this division that you are taking to Gaza have modest and simple training. How can you involve them in the fighting in Gaza?

On the one hand, this is the same as what is happening on the front, regardless of Gaza. This large number of dead and wounded among the enemy’s soldiers and officers, the destruction of its vehicles, the destruction of its positions, and the displaced people, don’t they put pressure on the enemy’s government? These put great pressure on the enemy government.

Regarding the issue of the displaced today, let me remind you of something I said a little while ago to some Lebanese and politicians. Allow me to say that they are either ignorant, pretending to be ignorant, or are completely ignorant; they do not know anything and have not read the history of Lebanon – not the region or the world, but that of Lebanon. These people have not read the history of Lebanon.

Since 1948, “Israel” has been attacking southern Lebanon, storming villages, attacking homes, the Lebanese army, and the internal security forces, abducting people, and committing massacres. Since 1948, they have established the first security belt inside Lebanese territory, and later they established other security belts.

This is a well-known history. But some still say that from 1948 to 1960 and 1970, there has been no problem with “Israel”. Read history. It seems that these people did not even study history in school. It has always been the people of the south who are being displaced. Today, the “Israeli” occupier is the one who is being displaced. What the front achieved today has a high moral, political, and military value. The security belt was always in our territory. They were thinking of building a security belt for the entire south of the Litani.

I am not the one saying this. The “Israelis” are the ones saying that for the first time, the entity is building a security belt inside the occupied territories of Palestine in the north, at a depth of 3 to 5 kilometers, and in some areas 7 kilometers. The occupiers have been forcibly displaced; the soldiers are on alert and in hiding; it is forbidden to hesitate; everything is in a standstill. This put pressure on the enemy government.

Today, I tell those colonialists and settlers who are complaining every day, and it is their right to complain, be afraid, and to demand that their government go to war against Lebanon or to resort to a military decisiveness with Lebanon.

I tell them: This is a wrong choice for you and your government. The first to pay the price for this wrong choice is you, the ones in the colonies and settlements in northern occupied Palestine. If you are really looking for a solution, it is for the settlers of the north and the displaced settlers from northern Palestine to demand from their government to stop its aggression against Gaza.

Any other option will only bring the settlers in northern occupied Palestine more displacement, destruction, and high costs. This is the case in our front.

I conclude this aspect with Netanyahu’s position several days ago in a press conference. A journalist asked him: Is Hezbollah deterred or not? Listen to the ridiculous answer. He tells her: Have you heard of the tent? You remember the tent in the Shebaa Farms. Where is the tent now? This is Netanyahu’s answer – where is the tent now?

This shows stupidity, ignorance, and absurdity. He is talking about the tent instead of talking about the 42 border sites being destroyed. Talk about 11 rear sites being destroyed. Talk about 17 settlements that were attacked. Talk about 50 border points and enemy concentrations. Talk about your army, officers, and soldiers hiding like mice in the border area instead of talking about the tent.

Is a resistance that carries out this scale of operations every day and launches this many missiles deterred? The tent has become a thing of the past. Today, there is a battle, a real war, albeit within a certain limit, taking place on the border with occupied Palestine.

One of the important results, brothers and sisters, of this battle that is taking place now in the south is the stabilization of the balance of deterrence. I mentioned this matter two days ago, and I will repeat it. What is happening on our southern borders has no precedent since 1948. The resistance has never taken the initiative since there was resistance in Lebanon, a Lebanese army, or armed forces in Lebanon, as it did during these three months. In the past, when one operation out of these 670 operations took place [one operation usually took place], the “Israeli” enemy would bomb inside Beirut and destroy entire buildings. You remember that happened in the 70s.

Despite 670 operations, most of which are heavy-caliber ones, the “Israelis” are forced to remain within the rules of combat and engagement. After 90 days of fighting and the massive loss of life, this proves the deterrence equations that the resistance established many years ago. This also opens a new opportunity for Lebanon. What is the new opportunity?

God willing, after ending this stage and stopping the aggression against Gaza, Lebanon has a chance to liberate the rest of its land, starting from the B-1 point in Naqoura to Ghajar to the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarchouba Hills. We now have a historic opportunity to completely liberate every inch of our Lebanese land, and we have a real opportunity to establish an equation that would prevent the “Israeli” enemy from violating our airspace, maritime boundaries, and our country’s sovereignty.

Who enabled this opportunity? This front enabled it again, and this is one of the blessings of being in solidarity with Gaza and standing by those oppressed in Gaza. Of course, any talk at this level, any negotiation, or any dialogue will only take place or achieve a result after halting the aggression against Gaza. This is the position we declared from the beginning, and it has not changed and will not change at all.

Here, too, I must remind you of those who wrote many articles, held seminars, and conducted dialogues on the day the maritime borders were demarcated and said that Hezbollah is done, the resistance is done and will not fight “Israel”, Hezbollah will normalize with “Israel” and that Hezbollah’s battle with “Israel” is over. Let me remind them. The 90 days, martyrs, and fighters ask all these: what happened to your unfair claims that you have been accusing us of for months?

I’ll talk about the last point on the Lebanese front, and I move to the third part. The last point about what happened in Dahiyeh. I mentioned it in the speech two days ago, but I must emphasize on it again.

We lost martyrs in Syria due to “Israeli” bombing in more than one place during the past three months. By the way, most of our martyrs who were martyred in Syria are our brothers from the Beqaa. Some of our martyrs in Syria were martyred in the face of Daesh, and we said we will say a few words about Daesh, but we always had an equation before the Al-Aqsa Flood – if they killed one of our brothers in Syria, we would respond on the Lebanon front, which was calm. The circumstances of this equation have practically changed. Why?

Because the entire front is on fire. This means that you are responding and targeting a site or a soldier. Every day you are hitting many sites and soldiers. However, when the targeting in Lebanon is in Dahiyeh, we cannot accept this equation. This is a major and dangerous violation – the killing of Sheikh Saleh [al-Arouri], the great leader and a dear brother.

In fact, he was a great friend of mine, a brother, a loved one, and a dear one. We were very close. We shared a high level of friendship, appreciation, and understanding. His martyred brothers also belonged to Hamas and Dahiyeh. Many people are wondering.

I tell you: This will definitely not be without response or punishment, and we will not use the phrase ‘in the right place and at the right time’. The decision, brothers and sisters, is left up to the battlefield. The battlefield will respond. It will not wait, and this response will undoubtedly come, seeing as we cannot remain silent over such a dangerous violation, because this would mean that entire Lebanon and its cities and figures would be exposed.

The danger, the threat, the negatives, the corruption that will result from remaining silent over this violation are greater than any risks that might come from this response.

Therefore, the response will undoubtedly come, God willing. The decision is for the battlefield, and success is from God Almighty.

I move on to the part before the conclusion, which concerns our region in brief. Of course, I have nothing to say concerning the Lebanese affair. That includes the presidency.

3- Regarding Iraq and what is happening in Iraq and on that front:

Of course, the Mujahideen in Iraq, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a number of factions of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have entered combat since the beginning, facing American bases in Iraq and Syria, and they have targeted these bases with drones, missiles, and appropriate weapons. The Americans have admitted to more than a hundred operations so far and to dozens of casualties in these locations.

Of course, the real title and reason was the support for Gaza, because before the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, there were no operations targeting the American bases in Iraq. Yes, there were operations targeting the American bases in Syria, and they increased their pace. The real title and goal was to support the people of Gaza. How? By putting pressure on the American administration.

The American administration is worried about the expansion of the war in the region. It is not out of love for the people of the region but because it has no interest. The American administration today is facing a major and dangerous dilemma in Ukraine, in its war with Russia. It seems that America and NATO are facing a major historical and strategic defeat in Ukraine, which NATO’s Secretary General began to prepare for when he said a few days ago: ‘Wait for bad news from Kiev.’

That is why America does not want to expand the war in the region because it is busy on another front and with other priorities. Here, pressure can be put on the Americans through what the resistance is doing in Iraq. The resistance in Iraq launched drones towards “Eilat” in the Zionist entity, towards the Mediterranean Sea, towards targets within the entity.

Some might tell you that the drones did not reach their targets, as is the case with the missiles and drones in Yemen. What is important is for this enemy to feel that there are several fronts opened against it and that it is under fire. Whether the drone reaches or not is not important, what is important is that its launched and will eventually reach its target. However, if it does not reach its target, it will leave deep and important effects, just as it left its effects in “Eilat”, economically and socially, as well as on tourism. This is known and has been witnessed.

The Americans attacked these resistance fighters on more than one occasion. They killed martyrs in the Jurf al-Nasr [al-Sakhar] area. They killed Mujahideen in Kirkuk. Martyrs died after that as a result of bombing in several places, including yesterday in Baghdad, martyr Commander Hajj Mushtaq, who embodied his name. He longed to meet his Lord and beloved master, Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein. Hajj Abu Taqwa was one of the best brothers who were alongside the great jihadi leader, Hajj Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.

Now, this is an opportunity. As I said, when we opened the front in Lebanon, at first the intention was not to liberate the B-1 point, Ghajar, the Shebaa Farms, and the Kfarchouba hills. This is one of the blessings of getting closer to God and supporting the oppressed in Gaza.

There is a major Iraqi national blessing that will be achieved as a result of the Islamic resistance in Iraq opening its front in support of the oppressed in Gaza. Today, Iraq is facing a historic opportunity to get rid of the American occupation forces, from this falsity, from these lies, from this forgery, and from this American deception. What do they say? They say they came to fight Daesh!

Did they come to fight Daesh? Over the course of four years, when the Iraqi government demanded that they leave Iraq, they threaten it and the Iraqi people with Daesh. All the officials in Iraq, including prime ministers and leaders, know and they’ve said that in many of their statements – Daesh is an American creation. Trump said that Daesh is an American creation, and they are using Daesh as an excuse to stay in Iraq.

Today, there is a historic opportunity before the Iraqi government, before the Iraqi Council of Representatives, before the Iraqi leaders, parties, resistance factions, and the Iraqi people to get rid of these criminal, murderous occupiers who shed the blood of the Iraqis, the Iranians, the Syrians, the Lebanese, and the peoples of the region. The Americans are partners in all the crimes being committed today in Gaza, Palestine, and Lebanon. This is a historic opportunity.

The current Iraqi government, headed by Mr. Al-Sudani, adopted a great, solid, and courageous position on Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the “Israeli” aggression on Gaza – the official position and speech in Arab summits and various official meetings. It was a position that set the bar high. Perhaps, it was one of the highest in the Arab world at the level of official regimes, except for Yemen. This is because Yemen is also a state, it is not just a resistance movement. The Iraqi government is supposed to be, God willing, qualified to use this pure blood that was shed on the land of Iraq by the Americans and tell them: You must leave. There is no point to you staying at all.

The departure of the Americans must be carefully scrutinized. Iraq does not need the Americans to fight Daesh. Iraq has the security forces, with their various types. As the Iraqis say, they have the army, the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF], the resistance factions, the youth of Iraq who are still listening to the echo of the religious authority’s fatwa, which will echo forever, as long as Daesh and others like it pose a threat to Iraq and the people of Iraq. The Iraqis do not need these occupying, controlling, colonizing, murderous, criminal forces.

This is one of the blessings of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation as well. This is a real battle that the Iraqi brothers will fight, each from their political, popular, and jihadist positions to achieve the goal of liberating Iraq for the second time after it was liberated from the occupation forces at the last month of 2011.

The Iraqis triumphed and the American forces withdrew, only to return under the pretext of Daesh. Daesh is a pawn and a pretext used by the Americans in Iraq. Now, they are using Daesh in Iran. Then, they say ‘we have nothing to do with the Kerman explosions.’ It was your creation that caused the explosions in Kerman. They are also using them in Syria. Why is Daesh now revived in Syria? What’s the point of these operations? Who is sponsoring Daesh in Syria? Who is releasing them from prison? Who is opening doors for them? Who is providing them with logistical support? Search for the American forces.

The opportunity to expel the occupying American forces from Iraq will be a great blessing followed by another blessing, the withdrawal of American forces from the east of the Euphrates. Apparently, according to military logic, the American forces occupying the east of the Euphrates cannot remain if they leave all of Iraq. This is one of the blessings of being in solidarity with Gaza and the oppressed – national blessings.

I mentioned to you the Lebanese national blessings for standing in solidarity with Gaza. An opportunity will be presented to us. This is a national blessing for the Iraqi resistance. In Yemen, this great Yemeni solidarity with Gaza and with the people of Palestine also has national blessings for Yemen. ‏

It is true that at one point, not only on our Lebanese front, but also the “Israelis”, the Americans, and much of the Arab media, many Arab regimes, many Arab powers, and negligent Arab elites who did nothing for the people of Gaza have worked for 90 days to ridicule everything the resistance axis does. Why did they do that?

Because they are doing nothing and to cover up their failure, humiliation, silence, and inaction. Instead of doing something, they ridiculed the actions of those who are actually doing something, be it the Lebanese front, the Iraqi front, or the Yemeni front.

Do you remember the first few weeks when missiles and drones were launched from Yemen? America, Arab regimes, and the US Patriot in the entity and the “Israeli” missile defenses intervened to intercept the drones that left effects on the city of Eilat. Many in the Arab world mocked what Yemen, Sayyed Abdul Malik [Al-Houthi], and Ansarullah were doing.

They accused them of exploiting the Gaza issue and solidarity with Gaza in order to remake their image in the Arab and Islamic world. The Yemenis never cared about their image in the Arab world. From the start, they were always concerned about their image, position, and status before God Almighty. This is how I know Sayyed Abdul Malik, the Ansarullah, and the Yemeni people.

When they took a step further in the Red Sea, they were speechless. Let me tell you, they were astonished. All these silent regimes, nonchalant elites, and miserable people were surprised. No one dared to open his mouth anymore and make fun of what Yemen was doing. They were forced to either remain silent or salute it. Why?

There are some Lebanese who accused the Axis of Resistance of endangering the whole country. It is true. The Iraqi resistance has exposed all of Iraq to danger. The Yemeni leadership, Sayyed Abdul al-Malik, the Ansarullah, and the government in Sanaa have exposed all of Yemen to danger. However, they [the Iraqis and Yemenis] did so to ward off the greatest dangers from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and the region – the dangers of defeat. If they befall Gaza, the resistance, and the resistance project, it will be disastrous for all countries, societies, and peoples of the region.

These people exposed themselves and their countries to danger and shouldered this responsibility, and God Almighty honored them because jihad always brings glory. Dear brothers, jihad brings glory. Abstaining from jihad is what brings humiliation. Didn’t the Commander of the Faithful (PBUH) say that “Surely, jihad is one of the doors of Paradise, which Allah has opened for His chief friends.”? For His chief friends!

There are people who are not fit, not worthy, and not prepared to be in this position – to fight the enemy of the Ummah and who is fighting in defense of the oppressed in Gaza. They are not qualified. Do not admonish them. Their psychological, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual level is beneath the saying “Allah has opened for His chief friends. It is the dress of piety and the protective armor of Allah and His trustworthy shield.”

As for jihad, “Whoever abandons it Allah covers him with the dress of disgrace and the clothes of distress. He is kicked with contempt and scorn.” Take a look at how the whole world looks at so many regimes, armies, and fleets? It looks at them with contempt and condescension. How does it look at the resistance fighters and movements? It looks at them with respect and appreciation because it knows their strength, ability, and influence, and it fears them and takes them into account.

When Yemen entered the fight, it was bestowed with national blessings. I am talking about the national blessings on Yemen and not that on Gaza and Palestine. One of its national blessings is that it contributed a lot to make many Yemeni people and groups reconsider their internal position in their battle with Ansarullah. The Yemeni people in general, even those who were in hostility or disagreement with Ansarullah, are a people hostile to “Israel”, to Zionism, to the Zionist project. They have been resistors and revolutionaries throughout history.

All the masks of the eight- or nine-year war that was imposed on the Yemenis, which was an American war par excellence and carried out by Arab armies, have been revealed and have fallen. This is one of the national blessings of Yemen’s involvement in the Gaza issue.

Another national blessing was that Yemen has been established in the regional equation. The Sana’a government, Ansarullah, and the Yemeni army are no longer an internal group within the framework of an internal war, regardless of the right and truth in it. They have become part of the international equation before which the world stands on a leg and a half. This equation exposed the “Israelis” and the Americans. Everything the Yemeni brothers have done so far in the Red Sea – where is “Israel”? Where is the “Israeli” Air Force that was sweeping the airspace of Arab countries and bombing here and there? Where is he from Yemen? Where is he from Yemen? This is Yemeni deterrence.

There was an American scandal when the US Secretary of Defense announced from our region a naval military alliance to confront the Yemenis in the Red Sea. It’s a scandal because it involves an American official, not a journalist or a third world minister of state, the Secretary of Defense of a powerful country.

Later, it turned out that the countries he named as part of the alliance denied being part of it – we are not in this alliance; no one spoke to us; and we have nothing to do with it. Hence, they withdrew. To make the alliance seem more powerful, he had to add a country – Seychelles, Meychelles, or whatever – as a member. We googled it, and it turns out it is an island in the end of the earth with a population of one hundred thousand people.

When the Yemeni people demonstrate in the millions in various governorates, this is not only to show solidarity with Gaza. They have been in solidarity with Gaza since October 7. But Biden, Blinken, the poor secretary of defense, and the entire US administration as well as those threatening the Yemenis must understand the message the people of Yemen are sending. The Americans are trying to form an alliance. There are countries that understand their interests well. Some European countries refused to enter this alliance. Others said they’ll officers to the American naval base in Bahrain but will not send soldiers, battleships, and ships.

Yemen’s message today to the United States of America is that you are not facing a government, a state, an army, or a resistance movement called Ansarullah in Yemen. You are facing millions and tens of millions of Yemeni people whose entire history is victories and inflicting defeat on the occupiers and aggressors.

This is what Biden and the Biden administration must understand and where to go. America, which says that it does not want to expand the war in the region, is pushing towards expanding the war in the region through aggression against Yemen, and it will not stop.

The Yemenis will not hesitate, even if their drones or missiles do not reach the targeted ships. It is enough that there are missiles and drones in the Red Sea that pose risks. The ships will leave, only the targeted ships, and they announced that “Israeli” ships or those going to the usurping entity will be targeted.

This is the message of Yemen. These are the blessings on Yemen for standing by Gaza. Yemen has always been dear to us, but this status is increasing among the Arab world, the Islamic world, and in the eyes of its friends as well as enemies because it took this position for the sake of God Almighty in the defense of the oppressed. ‏

As for Gaza and the legendary steadfastness of the resistance in Gaza and the people of Gaza as well as the women and children in the West Bank and Al-Quds, God willing, is what is relied upon because that steadfastness, that resistance, the videos being circulated about the heroic operations and extraordinary courage of the fighters and resistors calls us to rejoice in this future. ‏

4- Brothers and sisters, in this final part, I go back to Lebanon. To the families of the martyrs, in fact, we take pride in you and are proud of you. I personally listen to the words you say on screens and during the funerals of your children, your spouses, and your loved ones, and on various occasions.

When you meet with our brothers who come to visit you and serve you, many of them convey to me your position, your feelings, your steadfastness. This is in fact what we expect from the families of the martyrs, from this environment, which carries the culture of faith, Quran, Imam Hussein [AS] and Karbala. Therefore, this is not surprising.

Personally, if it were not for the security circumstances that have intensified, what I love, wish for, and hope for – I pray to God Almighty to grant me success in something – is to go to your homes, to your families, to stand by your side, to kiss your foreheads and hands.

Indeed, you are, as the Imam said, the pride and eyes of this nation. The same goes to the wounded and their families, their steadfastness, patience, and endurance, as well as to those who are steadfast in the border villages and those displaced from the border villages.

We do not ask those still in the border villages to stay or leave. They are the decision makers. We always do this. For those who remained firm or left [the border villages], this is their natural right. It is also a very natural thing for this environment that is paying the price – with its daily life, sons, martyrs, homes, and livelihoods.

This environment is patient, faithful, and striving, as it has been for decades. It is an environment with insight. It knows and understands what this battle and its dimensions mean.

O our people in the south, if the “Israeli” enemy had been destined, God forbid, to defeat the resistance in Gaza, break the will of the resistance in Gaza, and displace the people of Gaza, southern Lebanon, especially in southern Litani, will be next.

This enemy will come to break your will. You are the ones who defeated them, humiliated them, expelled them, and shattered their dreams and ambitions in our waters and land.

This battle today is not only for Palestine. It started for the sake of Palestine, and this was the full intention, but it’s also for the sake of southern Lebanon, for the sake of every grain of dirt in southern Lebanon, especially in the south of the Litani. Therefore, this patience, insight, steadfastness, and attitude is excellent, and this is what we are keeping pace with.

This environment embraces each other. I am keeping pace with the concerned brothers regarding many of those who left their homes. We had said that ‘let us cooperate and rent homes because we do not know how long this situation will last – a month, two, or three. It’s already been three months.

But many families did not need to rent or have homes rented for them because other families embraced them and provided them with homes. Some financiers and financially capable people also contributed. We also contribute depending on our capacity and energy.

Our environment must stand in solidarity with each other in this battle morally, psychologically, socially, financially, and in terms of livelihood. This is the battle of southern Lebanon and the battle of Lebanon, just as it is the battle of Gaza, the battle of Palestine, and the battle of Al-Quds.

I conclude with the fighters, the brave fighters, the lovers of martyrdom, and the lovers of God Almighty. I receive messages and reports from the fronts about spiritual incidents that these fighters experience. This will be published one day. These experiences express the extent of their love for meeting God Almighty, their honesty and sincerity, their willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of God, their religion, their people, their country, and their family, for the sake of everybody’s dignity and pride of all, and for the sake of this world and the Hereafter. ‏

These people, brothers and sisters. Are today fighting in the border area. If I wanted to describe it, it is similar to the Beqaa when it comes to the weather – the cold, the fog, the rain. It is an area high above sea level for the most part. It is a very cold area. Everyone knows that these brothers advance and attack enemy positions and gatherings in the cold, in the snow, under the rain, when its cloudy, and under shells and air strikes. They respond to the targeting of civilians, and they are the ones who will respond to the dangerous violation in Dahiyeh, God willing.

Therefore, we turn to these resistance fighters and mujahideen who come from all regions and towns in Lebanon, from the Beqaa, the south, Dahiyeh, and Beirut. Where will you find a large number of young men from the Beqaa present? They are present on the border in southern Lebanon, just as young men from the south were on the eastern chain and in the Jaroud battle. This is because we are one people, one country, one homeland, one destiny, one dignity, and one blood.

To these resistance fighters, we extend our greetings and appreciation. We pray for their steadfastness, victory, patience. May God guide them, make their hearts and feet firm and their aims sharp, and enable them to create, with their hands, fists, pure breaths, pure blood, and hard work, the victory that we all look forward to for Lebanon, Palestine, Al-Quds, and the region.

This is Hajj Abu Salim’s wish. This is what he aspired for. This is what he lived for all his life. God willing, his children, grandchildren, relatives, dear ones, students, friends, and companions of his path will achieve these aspirations and goals.

Once again, may God have mercy and satisfaction on his pure soul. May he be beside the prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the awliya. May God grant him high ranks. [We offer] to his soul prayers and the reward of Al-Fatihah. May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.