Translated by Al-Ahed News, Hezbollah Media Relations

Speech of Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah marking Martyred Leaders’ Day hosted by the party at the Sayyed Al-Shuhada [AS] Complex in the southern suburbs of Beirut [2/16/2024].

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 Muhammad Bin Abdullah, and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.

Esteemed scholars, distinguished representatives, dear brothers and sisters, may Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you all.

Welcome and thank you for taking part in our commemoration of the martyrdom anniversary of our martyred leaders in Nabi Sheeth, the town of the master of the martyrs of the resistance in the Beqaa, in Jebchit, the town of the sheikh of the martyrs of the resistance in the south, in Tayr Debba, the town of the great jihadi leader, and here in the Sayyed Al-Shuhada [AS] Complex in the southern suburb of Beirut [Dahiye].

I ask God Almighty to accept your efforts, your presence, and your jihad.

God Almighty says in His glorious Book:

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

{Allah has indeed purchased from the believers their lives and wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah and kill or are killed. This is a true promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. And whose promise is truer than Allah’s? So rejoice in the exchange you have made with Him. That is ‘truly’ the ultimate triumph.}

God Almighty has spoken the truth.

For all those today who offer themselves and their money for the sake of God, these are deposits that He will take back, but He accepts to buy them from us.

Dear brothers and sisters, today we commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of our martyred leaders, including the master of the martyrs of the Islamic Resistance, Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, his wife, the martyr, scholar and mujahida, Umm Yasser, Mrs. Siham Moussawi, and their son, the child martyr Hussein. We are also commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of the sheikh of the martyrs of the Islamic Resistance, Sheikh Raghib Harb, and the great jihadi leader Hajj Imad Mughniyeh.

In our commemoration today, we feel them more than ever before. We feel that their presence is stronger. Today, they are more present and influential. They guide us in every situation – the path, to the goal, to the position and path that we must take, and to the goal that we must keep in mind at this stage.

I am not talking about strategic goals, but rather the goal in the current events and more firmly in the arena of sacrifices.

When we remember Sayyed Abbas, Umm Yasser, Hussein, Sheikh Raghib, Hajj Imad, and all the martyrs, our hope and certainty of the coming victory becomes stronger. This is the promise of God Almighty to the mujahideen believers – ‘He will also give you’ another favor that you long for: help from Allah and an imminent victory. ‘So’ give good news ‘O Prophet’ to the believers.

If they were here today, what would their position be? Which in itself is a weapon, as Sheikh Raghib used to say. Would the position have been neutral? Standing in the sidelines regarding the American-Zionist aggression against the people of Palestine, against all of Palestine, and against Gaza in particular? Or would the position have been one of support, backing, pressure, and assistance to prevent the enemy from achieving its goals and for the oppressed to prevail in Palestine, Gaza, and the region?

Certainly, Sayyed Abbas and Sheikh Raghib would have been in all media platforms, mosques and locations, and certainly Hajj Imad would have been in the operations room with his brothers today in the leadership of the resistance, fighting, confronting, planning, and managing. Today, we take the anniversary of their martyrdom as well as lives and their struggle as a starting point for dealing with the events of this stage and these days. That is, we start from their martyrdom, life, and struggle to describe what is happening and determine how to deal with the current events.

First: Their martyrdom is a great title of sacrifice, redemption, and giving for the sake of God Almighty. One of the basic characteristics of this resistance and march is that its scholars and leaders were among the martyrs, sometimes with their honorable families. This is an essential feature.

Another characteristic of this resistance is that everyone who belongs to it and supports it is ready to make sacrifices, give, be generous with money, children, and lives. Isn’t this what we hear every day from the fathers, mothers, wives and daughters of the martyrs and the families of the martyrs? Isn't this what we hear every day from fathers, mothers, wives, and daughters of martyrs and the families of the martyrs?

The martyrs of Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and of all the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and Iran all have the same logic – everyone is ready to make sacrifices, have made sacrifices, and is making sacrifices.

They are not saying, ‘I am only prepared.’ We are talking about 1982 until now. At the very least, we are talking about thousands of martyrs, thousands of wounded, thousands of prisoners who were in prisons and detention centers, and tens of thousands of homes that were demolished, fields that were burned, shops that were destroyed, and livelihoods that were hit. Yet, they did not hesitate at all.

These martyrs, wounded, and prisoners as well as these resisting mujahideen and good, honorable people whose homes were demolished and have been displaced since the existence of this entity and the conflict with the enemy have not weakened no matter how great the sacrifices they had to make. Sacrifice and steadfastness are the most important characteristics.

Despite all these sacrifices, blood, wounds, and pain, they did not weaken, become sad, retreat, hesitate, or doubt the validity of their path, their goals, and their good deeds. Instead, they continued to work and continued on the path. They preserved the commandment of martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi – “Preserving the resistance is the basic commandment.”

As we’ve said, what we’ve seen and known since before 1982 is that they have been making sacrifices consciously and with insight. This is also a feature of the title of sacrifice. This is one of the reasons for steadfastness. These sacrifices, this jihad, and this steadfastness do not come from an emotional state. They are not a temporary reaction or random anger. Otherwise, this matter would have ended months or years later. It cannot continue for decades, but rather it increases in intensity, presence, interaction, strength, and breadth in quantity and quality, right? Isn't this the scene of the resistance and the entire resistance axis in the region today? Why?

Because these resistance movements were launched from a position of awareness, insight, as well as understanding and knowledge of goals, threats, opportunities, the safety and validity of options and the invalidity of others. They were launched based on faith in God, His messengers, His books, His angels, and the Last Day, and jihad in His cause, greed for what He has, and a profitable trade with Him. This is one of the most important elements of steadfastness, awareness, and insight that make sacrifice through presence in this field.

This is that we are talking about today on the anniversary of our martyred leaders and all martyrs. It is a strong message to the enemy. This is the point that I want to make. The “Israeli” enemy is mistaken to think that by killing our leaders or disappearing them as happened in 1978 with His Eminence Imam and leader Sayyed Musa Sadr, his two brothers, and many leaders in our region and in the Islamic world who were martyred, killed, imprisoned, and displaced, it can weaken us.

Does the think that by killing our leaders, our mujahideen, our families, our women, and our children, by demolishing homes, or by burning fields, it can force us to retreat, weaken us, or abandon our responsibilities? Never!

This, as I said, applies to all countries and peoples of the region and the axis of resistance. The martyrdom of these leaders answers [the above question]. The martyrdom of each of Sheikh Raghib, Sayyed Abbas, Umm Yasser, and Hussein, as well as Hajj Imad and all the martyrs gave a new impetus and a strong presence. It is not the massacres, wars, or destruction. It is the martyrdom of all these martyrs, the wounded, the presence of these mujahideen, the steadfast people answer this.

Hence, I must comment on the Nabatiyeh and Sawwaneh massacres. These are two massacres and in other places there is a previous massacre where kind girls and their grandmother were martyred in the first days of the confrontation.

We must stop at this aggression which is a development at the current stage. Why? Primarily because it targeted civilians and led to the martyrdom of many.

We believe that what happened is a deliberate massacre. The “Israelis”, like in the past, say that it was a mistake and unintentional. They want to go back to the idea of neutralizing civilians.

But we understand and believe that what happened was intentional. The “Israelis” could’ve targeted resistance fighters and avoided killing civilians. Therefore, I want to follow up on this point with two things:

1- This is for future reference. In a battle, there are fighters, soldiers, and fighting. In the battle, we fight them, and they fight us. You kill us, and you get killed. It is normal for martyrs to fall. Yesterday, martyrs from Hezbollah and martyrs from the Amal Movement rose. This is normal when we are talking about a battle. Some might as, ‘How can you have martyrs fall?’ What are we doing in the south, playing football or taking part in World Cup or a cultural competition?

We are fighting a real and serious battle against a fierce enemy supported by the United States of America. We are in the heart of a real battle fighting in a front that extends more than a hundred kilometers.

When it comes to the issue of fighters [perishing during battle], we consider it part of the battle. Hence, we are not obligated to adopt the formula of response and reaction – they martyred one of our fighters, so we kill one of theirs. This is a continuous and open battle. They get us where they can, and we get them where we can. This is how the front is now. In other words, at any moment on the front, the mujahideen see a tank, a vehicle, an enemy gathering, a specific enemy movement, or an enemy target they can hit, they take the initiative and act.

The enemy behaves in the same manner. It is basically the aggressor. Its very existence is an aggression, and the resistance is carrying out purposeful, clear, and specific action.

As a side note, when you hear the enemy say that ‘missiles fell in open areas’, this means that enemy is present in open areas, and its soldiers, vehicles, and tanks are behind the borders, which, thank God, we are also beginning to see well. A few days ago, when the enemy's war minister came to the northern region, “Israeli” media said that he met with the commander of the northern region of the enemy's army in a forest, i.e. in open areas, because he considered that any barracks or any military site was a target that might be targeted at any moment. This is with regard to fighters.

However, to us [the killing of] civilians, is especially sensitive. This is not a new issue. One of the most important equations that was established on the day of the martyrdom of Sayyed Abbas, Umm Yasser, and Hussein is that the resistance began targeting “Israeli” settlements in northern occupied Palestine. It established the equation – targeting settlers in response to the targeting of civilians. When did this happen? In February 1992.

We were mourning the martyrs Sayyed Abbas, Umm Yasser, and Hussein in Nabi Sheeth, while a confrontation took place where the resistance fighters fired Katyusha rockets at the settlements. Since that day, this equation was established, which was enshrined in the July 1993 understanding and the April 1996 understanding.

We always said that we do not tolerate harming civilians even though it is among the sacrifices that does not contradict the first point. But when we can do something to protect them and preserve their lives, we must do so.

This is the development that I said we must stop at. The enemy must know that it went too far by its targeting of civilians. It is not how far Nabatiyeh or Sawwaneh is – 20 kilometers, 50 kilometers, or one kilometer. To us, it all the same. Therefore, I want to say the following regarding this issue [the targeting of civilians and the massacres]:

First: Brothers and sisters, when we talk about disrupting an objective, before the emotions, anger, and reaction, what do reason and responsibility say? The enemy's objective, by killing civilians, is to pressure the resistance to stop. Since October 7, all the American and Western pressure in the world, the American and Western fleets that came to the Mediterranean, and all their contacts with us or with state officials were aimed at preventing another front from opening up in the south to support Gaza.

When the front was opened on October 8, the objective of all the pressure was to silence it and to prevent a single shot from being fired.

More than 130 days have passed, and fighting along this front is ongoing. The pressure and screams of the settlers from the north are mounting day after day.

All other means, including the killing of field commanders and the attack on Dahiyeh, did not stop the resistance. Rather its presence has increased on the battlefield and on the front. The answer to the massacre must be to continue and escalate the resistance work on the front.

The “Israelis” want us to stop. We tell them: This only intensifies our presence, action, fire, anger, effectiveness, and also expansion, as we said two days ago. They must expect this and wait for it. We disrupt a goal by being patient, mourn our martyred civilians and carry them to their final resting place, and hear the enemy cry. The killing of our women and children will increase our presence and determination in this battle.

Second: This matter cannot be left. Yesterday, the brothers on the front targeted the “Kiryat Shmona” settlement with dozens of Katyusha and Falaq rockets. We usually fire one or two Falaq rockets. But yesterday, we hit the military barracks of “Kiryat Shmona” with several Falaq rockets and dozens of Katyusha rockets. We said that this was an initial response whether there were casualties, limited destruction, or devastation. But from the beginning, we said this was just an initial response.

I say to you, brothers and sisters, and to all those who are listening, including our friends and enemies. The enemy will pay the price for shedding the blood of our women and children, who were killed in recent days in Nabatiyeh, in Sawwaneh, and in other villages in the south.

I will not specify or elaborate. Rather, we will leave it to the field, which is with God’s help, care, and support as well as with the intelligence, planning, courage, and heroism of our mujahideen brothers and sons, God willing. Only time will tell.

Our enemies and friends will see that the price of blood will be blood. Targeting sites, armored vehicles, or spying devices are part of the battle that will continue. The enemy must know that it cannot go too far and harm our civilians, especially our women and children.

There are sacrifices, steadfastness, awareness, and insight in our march, the resistance’s march, and every resistance in Lebanon, with all its factions. This also applies to the main battle, the heart of the battle, Palestine and Gaza. The [Palestinian] people have not given up their cause for 75 years and abandon it despite all the massacres and killings the “Israelis” have committed and are committing every day in Gaza and the West Bank. The Americans and “Israelis” must know that in Palestine, they are facing a people who will not back down, no matter how great the sacrifices and effort are.

Concluding this point, we affirm that no matter what you did, no matter who you killed, no matter how hard you attacked, and no matter how much you threaten this front has not stopped.

Yesterday, the crazy “Israeli” war minister talked about 50 km and Beirut. It seems that he forgot that the resistance in Lebanon has a massive and accurate missile power that enables it to launch strikes from “Kiryat Shmona” all the way to “Eilat”.

It is very important, brothers and sisters, to disrupt the enemy’s goal by committing the massacre. For example, when Yemen supports Gaza by launching missiles and drones at the usurping entity, the Americans, the British, the existing NATO and “Israeli” fleets, and perhaps some Arab countries all began to intercept these drones and missiles.

But the most important, most dangerous, greatest, bravest, boldest, historic and unprecedented work is what the Ansarullah in Yemen, rather the legitimate Yemeni government and the legitimate Yemeni army, are doing. They are targeting “Israeli” ships in the Red Sea or ships transporting goods or that are headed to the ports of occupied Palestine.

This work continued and left a great impact. The Americans took over a number of arenas from the “Israelis”, including Yemen, so the “Israelis” could focus their efforts primarily on Palestine and then Lebanon. The Americans along with the British began bombing the targets, including Yemen.

How did the wise and courageous leadership in Yemen evaluate the situation from the very beginning? The same way we are talking now about the massacre of civilians, the American goal is to obstruct the Yemenis’ prevention of the movement of “Israeli” and other ships and arriving in occupied Palestine. So how do we respond to the American aggression?

We respond to the American aggression by insisting on this goal, not by going to another battle. We may enter into another battle, but the main battle remains. The main battle is to continue bombing “Israeli” and other ships going to the shores of occupied Palestine. This is what happened. “Israeli” ships and ships going to the shores of Palestine were not abandoned in favor of fighting a battle against American bases in the region.

This is what Netanyahu wants, and this is possibly what the Americans themselves want. The brothers in Yemen, through their courage, willfulness, and determination, as well as the overwhelming popular support for them from the Yemeni people have continued to target ships despite weeks of American-British operations and aggression. So, what did they do? They disrupted the objective. It’s true they have martyrs. Revenge will come later, and the Americans and British will pay the price. They are already paying the price.

However, the main battle which is related to the pressing equations in the interest of Gaza, the people of Gaza, and the resistance in Gaza, remains. This is what is happening in Yemen, and this is what is happening with us in Lebanon.

In other words, first, not fighting any side battle does not serve the real goal. Second, we must not stop but continue working. Of course, the matter goes beyond praising the Yemeni people, the Yemeni army, Ansarullah in Yemen, the Yemeni leadership, and the dear brother Sayyed Abdul Malik and his brothers. This is when we talk about disrupting the goal, and this is the first title we’ve expanded on.

2- This brings us to another title that has always been raised since 1948. It is being discussed now in Palestine now, but, of course, people are talking about it coyly. In Lebanon, it is being presented insolently by some Arab media outlets and satellite channels. It is a well-known topic related to the cost and consequences of resistance, the price of resistance, and the sacrifices resulting from resistance.

So, what are you suggesting we do since you claim to be wise, rational, and understanding? What are you calling on us to do? You are calling on us to surrender before America and the American project of hegemony, tyranny, and plunder of everything in the region and before the Zionist project of occupation, control, tyranny, and annihilation of the Palestinian people and our peoples. We are faced with two choices, and there is no third – resistance or surrender. As long as we are faced with two options, which one has a greater cost?

Of course, you are familiar with this, but I am talking about it as a reminder because at a time when the resistance and the axis of resistance is changing equations and achieving victories it is bearing consequences, making sacrifices, and paying the price. This opens up the conversation again. The price and cost of surrender, brothers and sisters, is hefty, dangerous, and very critical. What does surrendering mean? For example, what does the surrender in Lebanon after 1982 mean?

It means that there would’ve been “Israeli” settlements in southern Lebanon up to the Awali [river], or at least in southern Litani. Surrender means the displacement of the people of the south, Western Beqaa, and Rashaya from the areas occupied by the enemy. Surrender means “Israeli” political and security hegemony over Lebanon. Surrender means that a Zionist ambassador in Beirut is the one running the country. It means no sovereignty, no independence, and no country. Surrender means thousands of young men and women in detention centers in Ansar and Atlit and inside the prisons of occupied Palestine and will remain in prisons for many years.

Surrender means that this country’s resources would be plundered. Surrender would’ve meant all these things. Therefore, its price is dangerous and fateful. Its price is linked to existence. Surrender means that there is no dignity or pride. Surrender means humiliation, submission, and servitude. It means undervaluing our elders and children, our honor, and our money. This is what surrender means.

If the Palestinian people had surrendered 75 years ago, as many of the Arab official regimes and the world were asking them to do – this is a reality and the United Nations recognized it – the people of Gaza would’ve been outside Gaza today, the people of the West Bank would’ve been outside the West Bank, and even the people of 1948 territories would’ve been outside the 1948 territories. Today, “Israel” would’ve been powerful not only in Palestine but throughout the region. But the cost of resistance made this entity always live in an existential crisis, and the climax was the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.

Likewise, when we talk about contemporary history. Algeria has one million martyrs, and it is said that there are two million martyrs. I have read some studies that corrected the figures. Some even say more than two million martyrs. If the Algerian people had nit sacrificed a million or two million martyrs, would Algeria have been liberated? Algeria today would still be under slavery, colonialism, tyranny, and occupation. Museums would be established in Western capitals of the skulls of Algerian men and women.

America ruled Iran and plundered it when it was under the Shah’s regime. The Shah was the policeman of the Gulf, an agent of the Americans and the “Israelis”. He plundered wealth and enslaved his people. He confiscated their freedom. The Iranian people, led by Imam Khomeini, made huge sacrifices to restore Iran. What is the price of resistance? What is the price of surrender?

Today too, brothers and sisters, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in southern Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, in the entire region, we must not lose sight of this fact at all. Look at the price of surrender. With the exception of the resistance axis and some popular forces in the world that support this position, how can more than 53 or 54 Islamic countries and 22 Arab countries with hundreds of millions of Arabs and two billion Muslims surrender to the American will and pressure? Isn’t it humiliating?

Is it not a sign of humiliation and weakness for countries that manage and rule two billion Muslims to be unable to bring medicine, food, water, and tents – not weapons – to the people of Gaza, who are living in make-shift plastic tents.

This culture and choice of surrender leads to humiliation. However, the cost of resistance makes “Israel”, America, and NATO to tremble and the whole world to come to our region. The people of Gaza did what the world and two billion Muslims were unable to do – make them bring them food and medicine.

3- Based on the memory of their martyrdom, the most important point in this resistance is clarification, explanation, and persuasion. This is a trait. His Eminence Imam Khamenei later spoke about a complete idea that he considered intellectually, jurisprudentially, Qur’anically, and Islamically. He called it the Jihad of Clarification.

On October 7, the “Israeli” media accused Hamas, the brothers in Hamas, the mujahideen in Hamas, and later the rest of the factions that took part in Al-Aqsa Flood of raping women, slaughtering children, killing civilians, and burning their bodies. Some media professionals in America swore. I apologize for the harshness of these words. They claimed that a young “Israeli” woman was raped by 75 men.

Media focus on Hamas was so strong that even some Arab countries believed the lies and condemned Hamas. Some countries that are friendly with Hamas, I do not want to name them, and some countries that say they are friends with Hamas strongly condemned what happened in the “Israeli” settlements without investigating or getting proof. They believed this because the “Israelis” said so.

Hamas, the Palestinians, and the Islamic Jihad denied this. They presented their side of the story, but the world continued to believe the lies. They wanted to make Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] out of Hamas. They wanted to establish a moral and legal basis for eliminating Hamas. It is enough to liken it to Daesh to gain international, global, popular, moral, and legal legitimacy to eliminate the entity that you call Daesh or resembles it.

This is the biggest falsification in recent years. What turned out later? What is meant by later is not the passage of a long time, but rather a short period of time.

The “Israelis” could not present to anyone in the world a single slaughtered child or a girl or a woman that was raped. Even the civilians who were killed in the settlements and whose bodies were burned were killed by the “Israeli” army, “Israeli” missiles, “Israeli” tanks, and “Israeli” helicopters.

When they launched an investigation – this was published in “Israeli” newspapers and officers and commentators talked about it – the truth came out. The investigation was closed. Why are the “Israelis” insisting on not launching an investigation until the war ends? If the investigation is launched now, the moral and legal basis that Netanyahu and Biden claim in their insistence on the goal of eliminating Hamas will collapse.

Is there anyone in the world, even the American, that is calling Hamas Daesh? They are no longer saying Daesh because they got confirmation.

As for the European countries, some European intelligence officials who visit Lebanon and meet officials told us that they have been misled. When we asked them about the hateful and ugly positions taken by their leaders, they said, ‘We have been misled.’

Later, in the investigation, it was proven that no child was slaughtered, no woman was raped, and no civilians were killed. All this was a fabrication. But Netanyahu and the “Israelis” are continuing with this fabrication and cannot get out of it.

This is a fact that today every free person in the world must clarify and explain. Why? Because those who accused, at best, remained silent. They did not repeat the accusation, but they did not clarify, apologize, and admit having made a mistake. They did not say, ‘We were misled.’ They did not reveal the truth that had become clear and apparent. They remained silent.

As for us, we are all responsible, including figures, scholars, politicians, media outlets, intellectuals, and people on social networking sites. Every person who can say something must do so at home, among his family, because many believed the “Israeli” historical falsification.

Brothers and sisters, there is a lesson to be learned. Just because “Israel” accused Hamas, Jihad, and the Palestinians with these accusations, the world judged them without proof or verification. Regarding UNRWA, just because the “Israelis” accused some young men working in UNRWA of helping during the Al-Aqsa Flood, America, Europe, and a number of countries stopped funding UNRWA. Did you investigate and verify?

Two days ago, the UNRWA chief said that ‘so far, we have not received any evidence proving that our employees participated in the Al-Aqsa Flood, but they judged them.’

On the other hand, this is not an accusation or slander. In front of the whole world, the cameras, and the media, “Israel” kills and injures hundreds of women and children, destroys, demolishes, and burns daily, while the world is silent and does not condemn it.

In the best of case, the Americans and Westerners say: The number of dead is a lot. Reduced it a little. There is soft talk but no action or reaction. They cut off UNRWA’s funding; they judge Hamas and put it on terror lists, confiscate funds and declare war. “Israel”, on the other hand, commits crimes and massacres every day. The oppression of the Palestinian people must be declared.

Since October 7, the Palestinian resistance has been subjected to the ugliest campaign of distortion, humiliation, and historical falsification that any resistance in our region has been exposed to. It is our responsibility to show the truth; if you are unable to fight with Gaza, speak up or write about this truth.

Otherwise, a time will come when talking about some controversial details about the Holocaust in Germany become fact and any questioning of them lands you in prisons and courts and you become an anti-Semite.

4- Let us look at the American position briefly. We must pay attention, brothers and sisters. Lessons from these events must increase our awareness, knowledge, and insight about the reality of the enemy, its action, and personality. No one should be deceived.

We are not concerned about what happened before October 7 or what “Israel” meant to America during that time. We are concerned with what’s been happening since October 7 to the present day.

[Joe] Biden said, “If there were not an ‘Israel’, we’d have to invent one.” This is not new. He said this when he was young and just repeated it as an old man.

Today, the American administration bears full responsibility for this battle. I would like to draw attention to hypocrisy. The greatest phenomenon of hypocrisy the world is witnessing today is a global event. The greatest phenomenon of hypocrisy the world is witnessing today is the American policy towards what is happening in Palestine and Gaza. Why?

[Antony] Blinken’s heart is allegedly aching for the children and women in Palestine and Gaza. So, what do you do? Nothing. Biden said that they killed “too many”, and that it “remains too high”, and that “Israel’s” military assault in Gaza was “over the top.” This is how much sympathy they have for the “Israelis”.

They’ve been asking “Israel” to implement international law for the past four months. It hasn’t implemented it. They asked “Israel” to kill less civilians and allow the entry of aid, but it hasn’t done that.

There is also the lie about the entrance of aid which the Americans know about it. The Americans only talk [when it comes to the Palestinians]. But when it comes to “Israel”, they provide it with weapons, missiles, and artillery shells. This is an open bridge. “Israel’s” missiles and artillery shells all come from the US. If the Americans stop supplying it with weapons, the war will stop on its own, whether Netanyahu wanted it or not – when the air bridge they are opening to Palestine closes.

Congress yesterday recommended $17 billion in aid to the enemy entity. You give it weapons, missiles, and money, and your fleets and military bases are in the region. Your satellites and your veto in the UN Security Council as well as your pressure on Arab and Islamic countries and regimes are all in the service of the “Israelis”.

Isn’t the US the one making any summit empty? Is it possible that presidents, kings, princes of the Arabs and Muslims, if it was up to them – i.e. they are not afraid of the Americans, are not under pressure by the Americans, and are not threatened by the Americans, they would never do anything and provide aid to the people of Gaza?

This is all the result of American pressure, American arrogance, and American enslavement of the governments of the Arab and Islamic world, with a few exceptions.

Does anyone believe what the Americans say? The Americans came to Lebanon and said that this will end at the end of 2023, in December. People waited for December to end. Still nothing. Then January came. People thought by January 22 or 23, the operations and the war in Gaza will be over. January ended, then February came.

In February, we are supposed to go to the third stage, as the Americans say. They want to go to Rafah, where more than a million people gather, one million two hundred thousand or one million three hundred thousand. This means more aggression, killing, and massacres. What did the Americans do?

We have no problem with going to Rafah but find a solution for the civilians. Find out where to put them. They killed more than a hundred Palestinians in Rafah with the theatrics of releasing two prisoners they bought with money.

Brothers and sisters, have no doubts about America. So far, the Americans have expressed no desire for a ceasefire in Gaza or stopping the war. According to the media, a few days ago the British Foreign Secretary demanded that the war in Gaza be stopped. Basically, there is no one in the world who is not demanding that the war in Gaza be stopped because of pressures from home, except the Biden administration.

The one insisting on the goal of eliminating Hamas is America more than “Israel”. If you remember, in the final days of the July War, the “Israelis” were tired. The “Israelis” were the ones who asked to stop the war, but the Americans demanded that they continue with the aim of eliminating the resistance in Lebanon. You can find this in the memoirs of American officials at that time.

Therefore, this is a point of insight, knowledge, and awareness. No one should be confused about the situation. Today, Biden, Blinken, and [Lloyd] Austin are responsible for every drop of blood spilled in Gaza and in the entire region. You know these people, don’t you?

The American administration is responsible. Netanyahu, Gallant, Mallant, and I don’t know who, are tools used to implement [America’s goals]. There may be a disagreement related to managing the situation, the stages, cleverness, deception, or cunningness, but the goal is clear. “Israel” is America’s creation; it is America’s base in the region.

5- This is an important point that must be built upon in politics, in the field, in combat, in resistance, and in the positions. The Al-Aqsa Flood revealed the real goal, which was known but has now been revealed very clearly and undoubtedly.

This is not Netanyahu’s goal or the extreme right. Rather, it is the goal of most “Israeli” political forces, except 1 or 2 who have a different opinion. The goal, which has been in the works for years, slowly and gradually, is to displace the Palestinians from occupied Palestine, from Gaza, from the West Bank, and even from the 1948 territory and to establish a Jewish “state”.

They established the law making it a Jewish state. “Israel” is a purely national state for the Jews. let the Palestinians leave. Jordan is the alternative homeland for the people of the West Bank. The people of Gaza go to Egypt and the people of the 1948 territory go to Lebanon.

To those who are against resettlement and fear demographic change, they should know what is happening in the region. Al-Aqsa Flood has revealed what was hidden. Today, what are they all saying? Their goal is to displace the people of Gaza and the West Bank. What did Jordan and Egypt object? It was as a result of these fears.

Who will object to this in Lebanon? Whoever seriously fears for Lebanon and the future of Lebanon and is concerned about Lebanon.

This is the “Israeli” goal. They were working on it gradually. The siege on the Gaza Strip would have led people there to death by starvation, death in silence, death without moving the world, death without anyone in the world feeling them, and death without anything shaking the “Israeli” entity. This is what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank.

Someone may ask me what happened now. What happened is that the Al-Aqsa Flood stopped this farce, opened the eyes of the world, exposed the enemy, and made it pay a hefty and dangerous price because it caused an earthquake in the “Israeli” entity.

It has reached a point where neighboring countries have mobilized and taken a difficult stance on the issue of displacement. Otherwise, displacement is an “Israeli” will, an American will, and a Western will. We must pay attention to this as we deal with the events in the region. This is the real goal.

Look, when the Americans and the Europeans started talking a little about a Palestinian state, with unknown borders and area, and a demilitarized Palestinian state, and they may not even give them a real gun but a squirt gun, the “Israelis” got startled.

Not only Netanyahu but all the “Israelis” were startled. They cannot afford a Palestinian state, even on a small part of the land of Palestine. Why? Because they want all of Palestine, from the river to the sea, to be a pure Jewish state. This is the real “Israeli” project.

This does not only target the Palestinian people. This puts Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon in danger, in second place. But in the first place, the Palestinian people are the ones being targeted and are in danger.

Regarding this point, the political, jihadist, and national responsibility requires that everyone, including states, governments, and peoples in the region, is to have a goal, which is preventing the displacement of Palestinians, from Gaza, the West Bank, and the 1948 territories, outside Palestine. This means that instead of talking about the return of Palestinian refugees now, the danger is the displacement of those inside occupied Palestine, and this requires a major confrontation.

6- On the martyrdom anniversary of the martyred leaders, emphasizing the choice of popular resistance – of course, from 1982, to the 1985 liberation, to the 2000 liberation, to the liberation of Gaza, to the Gaza wars, to the July War – all of which proved its feasibility, and today we must confirm the feasibility of this option.

Armies are important. The Arab countries and our countries must have strong armies. We also demand that the Lebanese army becomes strong and capable. But the problem is who is preventing the Lebanese army from becoming strong and capable? Who is preventing the Lebanese army from having a real air defense system so that enemy aircraft do not invade Lebanon’s airspace and target Lebanon and Syria from Lebanon?

Who is preventing the Lebanese army from having missiles so that there is a balance of deterrence? It is not required to liberate Palestine, only to protect Lebanon. This requires a balance of deterrence. Who is preventing? Iran? Syria? Arab countries? Russia? China? Who? America. Does this need discussion? Has someone raised this issue in Lebanon? They want an army that is in a state of need for the Americans. We do not want to delve any further into that. This is a real problem.

In any case, there must be armies. When we talk about the option of resistance, we never tell countries and governments to disband your armies. We say: Have armies, but adopt, wherever possible, the option of popular resistance. Popular resistance today has proven its usefulness in achieving liberation. This is Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq, even if the Americans left through the Iraqi resistance gate in 2011 and returned through the Daesh gate, which they created to falsify and mislead the Iraqis.

The resistance accomplished liberation. The resistance in Lebanon has achieved a balance of deterrence and protection, and this is something that the enemy itself acknowledges. The resistance in Gaza also, over the years, created a balance of deterrence and protection. The resistance in Lebanon and Palestine broke the balance of “Israeli” deterrence and shattered its image. This is acknowledged by the enemy’s leaders, and you are experiencing this. There is no need to explain.

The image of the “Israeli” army has changed in Lebanon, Palestine, and Gaza. What happened in Gaza confirms this logic. In 1967, a number of Arab armies fought the “Israeli” army, and the “Israeli” army was alone. The Americans did not fight with them, did not give them fleets or bomb Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.

The “Israeli” army defeated several Arab armies in six days and occupied large areas: Gaza, the West Bank, part of Syria, part of Jordan, part of Lebanon – albeit a small part of Lebanon.

For more than four months, several divisions, six or seven, of the “Israeli” army, all or most of them elite brigades, are fighting in a narrow area of no more than 350 kilometers a popular resistance with modest capabilities – and not Arab armies or the Muslims’ armies.

But what advantage does the resistance have? The resistance has faith, high willingness to sacrifice, and openhandedness. This is what we were talking about at the beginning: endurance, patience, redemption, trust in God, His help, and His support, courage, boldness, lack of fear of death, etc.

Isn't this what is happening now in the Gaza Strip? No matter what we say, brothers, and no matter how we explain, we are unable to describe the legendary resistance in Gaza and the legendary steadfastness of the people of Gaza. This heroism, courage, reassurance, and steadfastness, what do they confirm?

The enemy also admits. The “Israelis” say that they are still looking for an image of victory because they know that no matter how many women and children they kill, this condemns them. This shows their weakness, cowardice, inability, and failure, and not an image of victory. Even though “Israel” has America, the West, and NATO backing it, it is helpless with regard to achieving one of the goals it announced in the Gaza Strip. What is the option? The option is resistance.

In a country like Lebanon that has a resistance, the practical result says that there must be a real popular awareness that we must cling to this resistance, to the weapons of this resistance, to the capabilities of this resistance, and in the presence of this resistance now more than ever. This is what works and makes the enemy incapable, fail, deterred, and afraid. This is the advantage of popular resistance.

The greatest shock that resulted from the Al-Aqsa Flood is that neither the “Israelis” nor the Americans expected that the Palestinians would have the courage and boldness to do what they did on October 7.

They also did not expect that the resistance in Lebanon would have the boldness, courage, and willpower to open a front to support Gaza. This is because they believed that after the July War, they seared the consciousness [of the resistance] in Lebanon. They were mistaken.

This also applies to the resistance fighters in Iraq, who are facing the Americans, and the resistance in Yemen. They did not expect that Yemen, emerging from years of unjust war, would have the boldness and courage to target “Israeli” ships and challenge the Americans. This is one of the advantages of the popular resistance option.

On the martyrdom anniversary of our martyred leaders, we must also adhere to this correct, historical, productive, and effective strategic choice and not choose options that entail begging, weakness, and kissing the doorsteps of tyrants, arrogant powers, colonialists, and the major powers of the world.

7- We must set a goal. We have set a goal, but we must emphasize it. Our goal as an axis of resistance, countries, peoples, movements, fighters was and will remain that the enemy must be defeated in this battle. First, the enemy must be defeated, i.e., it fails to achieve any of its goals that it announced. This is what we mean by defeating the enemy.

Second, the enemy must be dealt the greatest possible losses in this battle. It has so far suffered many losses of a strategic nature. It also suffered losses in the ability of the army and the security services as well as in the economic, social, and popular levels.

The “Israelis” want to displace the Palestinians, but immigration is happening from their part. Gaza must emerge victorious from this war. The resistance in Palestine must emerge victorious.

As I said on the first day, Hamas must emerge victorious. This is not an attempt to belittle any other jihadi faction. We emphasize on Hamas because it is the primary target of the Americans, the West, and the “Israelis”. Otherwise, according to the Americans and the “Israelis”, the [Islamic] Jihad is no different from Hamas and the rest of the resistance factions. They are all the same.

This is a goal. The steadfastness of the resistance in Gaza as well as the ongoing operations there achieve this goal. Here lies the advantage of the popular resistance – it does not engage in conventional warfare. This is if we are talking about the military.

In other words, the resistance is not an army. In Lebanon in 2006, if you remember, I used to say, that was not our job to prevent them from entering a village or town. We fight our battle by inflicting the largest number of casualties on the enemy and hit it on the psychological level to force on it defeat and withdrawal.

This is the resistance’s tactics and work. The enemy enters and leaves an area – for example, Beit Lahia or Khan Yunis – then the resistance strikes. This is the advantage of the resistance. It is not a conventional army that collapses. One of the most important elements of the popular resistance is flexible power.

The resistance, the people of Gaza, and the support fronts in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, whether it is field military support or political and logistical support are all steadfast.

The Islamic world must bear its responsibility so do the peoples. Exerting pressure by the people of the world, including America, Europe, the West, Canada and Australia, must certainly continue.

Those concerned with the political negotiations are the Palestinian factions, and they agree with Hamas. As I understood from some of them that they authorized Hamas.

As for us, so everyone knows, we do not interfere in these negotiations and what is happening in the negotiations. We are a support front. Of course, the brothers in Hamas, the Jihad, and the rest of the factions contact us and consult with us, but we always say to everyone that you are the decision-makers.

You know your interests best. You know your capabilities, your ability to withstand, your ability to achieve and impose conditions. We absolutely stand by you. This position is expressed by Yemen and by the Islamic resistance in Iraq.

Therefore, the brothers in Hamas, along with the Palestinian resistance, are not only negotiating from a position of strength in the Gaza Strip, but they also represent all the fronts of the axis of resistance and all the sites of military, political, and logistical support for them. No one interferes in their choices or impose their choices on them because they are the main battle and are the ones paying the heftiest price. We are all with them and by their side. It is true that we make sacrifices in the arenas, but they are the ones fighting in the main front. Hence, they are the ones concerned with the decision.

8- This is the last point since I promised on Tuesday to speak about it. This is to reassure some of the worried Lebanese. It is about the front in the south and the internal political issue.

No one, including Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, or any faction today participating in the resistance, said that if the resistance front triumphs we will impose a Lebanese president, an amendment to the political system, an amendment to the sectarian quotas. However, some people said this. There are other people who talk about thirds instead of parities. 

For the millionth time – we spoke about this in 1982, 2000, and 2006 – the topic of resistance in the time of Sayyed Abdul Hussein Sharaf al-Din, Imam Musa al-Sadr, and our scholars, leaders, and current resistance is beyond all of these calculations. This is an issue related to the defense of Lebanon, the defense of the south, the defense of the holy sites, the defense of our people, our goods, our dignity, the sovereignty of our people, their pride, their honor, their money, their women and their children. Is there a day over the course of 42 years that we came in the name of the resistance to impose political options on the Lebanese? Never ever!

We never used the legacy of the resistance or even our security and military forces. How long have these presidential elections been held up for? A few days ago, someone said – he was being skeptical – that if Hezbollah and the Amal Movement actually wanted Minister Suleiman Frangieh to be the President, they could have made him president, but they did not want to. What is your evidence?

He said, for example, they have 50 representatives or more, and you do not need anything to make a list of a number of representatives. Let them just threaten. The representatives will be afraid and elect Frangieh. Basically, it would be similar to the 1982 elections. There are people who are accustomed to this, to bring representatives with tanks or under threat. Have we ever done this? Are we able to do this? Yes, we are.

However, this is not our conviction, culture, morals, values. We launched May 7 to protect the weapons of the resistance. That is why, when the delegation came to us and asked us what we wanted, we told them that we want them to withdraw the decision regarding the resistance’s weapon. They asked us if we wanted the post of the prime minister or president, a change in the political system, or quotas.

We do not approach these topics using our weapon. We approach it through political action, popular action, etc. Therefore, there are people who like to remain afraid. What can I do for them? Tell me, how can we comfort and reassure them? They are not reassured; they are doing it to themselves.

This weapon is not to change political facts in Lebanon, the political system in Lebanon, the constitution in Lebanon, the formula of government in Lebanon, or impose new sectarian quotas in the Lebanese composition.

This weapon is to protect Lebanon, the people of Lebanon, all Lebanese, whether the resistance fights on Lebanese soil, against “Israel”, or against the Takfiris in Syria, and offered martyrs.

And those who are skeptical – knowing that they are saying in their internal meetings that if the resistance had not gone to Syria, Daesh would have come to Lebanese villages and cities – accused us.

Hence, I tell the Lebanese on the martyrdom anniversary of our martyred leaders, the issue of the weapon is another topic. Regardless of the outcome of the front, it will triumph, God willing. We are confident in the promise of God Almighty, and God Almighty has given good news to the mujahideen believers, and this is good news from God Almighty. We’ve achieved victories.

Leave all of this aside. The issue of the presidency in Lebanon is an internal issue related to the understanding of the political forces. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called the parties many times to try to solve the disruption of the presidential election. Yet, those who disrupted the elections do not want to engage in dialogue. Let these political forces reach an understanding, and there will be a President. The presidential elections have nothing to do with the Gaza war and the front against Lebanon.

I’ve taken up a lot of your time. There is something I would like to mention briefly. Someone accused us of opening the front [in the south] and conducting negotiations because we want to go to the demarcation in the absence of a president. Who are you talking to?

All the Lebanese know. We’ve spoken about this. There is no such thing as negotiations for border demarcation for these people to accuse us of wanting to absent the president so we can engage in negotiations and demarcate the land border.

The land borders are already demarcated. Some ministers, representatives, and Lebanese politicians are still making the mistake. There is a difference between maritime borders and land borders. There was a delineation of the maritime borders. However, the land borders have already been demarcated.

Any negotiations with the Parliament Speaker or Prime Minister will be on the ‘Get out of our Lebanese land’ basis. There is no new border demarcation that requires anyone to sign on behalf of the Lebanese president. This is just for clarification.

The election of the president was disrupted before Gaza. Gaza has been going on for four months. So, the issue is related to the internal situation.

In conclusion, we reiterate the culture of our resistance is a culture of life, pride, dignity, honor, and bliss. It is not a life of humiliation, disgrace, enslavement, and surrender. Our martyrs and wounded in the field make this honorable life, with God’s will and through personal giving.

In one of my speeches, I spoke about organ donation and called for it. A couple of days ago, a wounded brother with severe injuries willingly and with his honorable parents’ acceptance donated his organs. I am talking about martyr Ibrahim Ali Debeq. He was a young man in his prime. He donated his heart, liver, and kidneys to others to enable them to live.

These are our wounded, our martyrs, our mujahideen, our resistance, our culture, our legacy. This is what we inherited from our scholars, leaders, martyred leaders, Sayyed Abbas, Umm Yasser, Sheikh Raghib, Hajj Imad, and all the martyrs.

Brothers and sisters, I thank you for your patience in this long speech, as usual. God willing, we and you pledge to our leaders and all the martyrs that we will continue this path and continue to work until the promised victory is achieved, God willing.

May the peace, blessings, and mercy of Allah be upon you.