Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on the Martyrdom Anniv. of Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine
Translated by Al-Ahed News, Hezbollah Media Relations
The full Speech of Hezbollah's Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the martyrdom anniversary of leader Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine on Monday, May 13, 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.
Brothers and sisters, peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you all.
Once again, the annual martyrdom anniversary of the great jihadi leader, the dear and beloved brother, Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine or martyr Sayyed Zulfiqar, brings us together.
On this occasion, at the beginning, we turn once again to his honorable family members. We renew our condolences for the loss of the beloved and our congratulations for the dear one receiving this high divine award.
Of course, at the beginning of the speech, while we are in the heart of the battle with this enemy, I would also like us to turn to the families of the martyrs. We condole them for the loss of their dear and loved ones. We congratulate them on their martyrdom and attaining their highest goal – the satisfaction of God and the closeness to God Almighty. Greetings and peace to the honorable families of the martyrs who have exercised patience.
We also address the wounded fighters. Of course, I am talking here about the martyrs in all the battlefields and the wounded in all the battlefields. I ask God Almighty for their recovery and well-being. May God Almighty also bestow upon those who are steadfast in all battlefields, the displaced people moving from place to place, and all incubating environments steadfastness, preservation, patience, and great reward.
We also extend our salutations to the patient, steadfast, and brave fighters and mujahideen on all fronts who, for eight months, have been creating the most wonderful scenes of heroism, manhood, courage, strength, vigor, will, determination, enthusiasm, certainty of victory, and trust in God Almighty.
Of course, we also have many occasions related to Palestine and the battle with this enemy, in addition to other religious and political occasions that coincide with the martyrdom anniversary of our martyred leader Sayyed Zulfiqar.
May 15 is the anniversary of the occupation of Palestine, the rape of Palestine. It is the anniversary of the bitter, painful, and cruel incident that continues to bring pain and disasters to our region and all the peoples of our region – the establishment of this usurping entity. We also have on May 17 – the agreement of shame between the Lebanese state at that time and the enemy. On May 25, we mark Resistance and Liberation Day.
Hopefully, on May 25, I will deliver another speech. Therefore, I will divide the topics of discussion between today and the next speech.
Hence, I will talk today about the occasion, the current scene which is the ongoing battle, and the Syrian displacement file in Lebanon since it is the number one issue at the national level.
On the martyrdom anniversary of our dear martyred leader Sayyed Zulfiqar, we recall some of what we said in the past and add to it. We talked about his real medals. You know, today in the world, especially in the Arab world, some decorate their chests with medals while not having fought a single battle.
Here, we are talking about real medals, the medal of a mujahid fighter and a wounded. For a person to be a mujahid fighter fighting for the sake of his people, his nation, his cause, his religion, and his faith, this in itself is a great honor, regardless of the organizational or leadership rank he holds.
We all know the wounds that plague a fighter until his martyrdom. There is also the medal of the detainee behind bars, the medal of the leader who bears responsibility, and the medal of the creator of achievements and victories. God Almighty sealed his life with the highest medal – the medal of the martyr and martyrdom.
We also recall the achievements he had a hand in creating by taking part in various positions in the resistance and resistance operations before 2000 and all the way to liberation, including quantitative operations such as the Ansariya Ambush.
He was part of the efforts to liberate prisoners and leading the negotiations. He was part of the security effort to dismantle the networks of “Israeli” spies and agents in Lebanon and the networks of terrorists that sent car bombs to the Beqaa, Dahiyeh [the southern suburbs of Beirut], and Beirut. He was also part of the battle, the greatest test for all of us, which is the battle of Syria.
In everything that our squares are witnessing, we see him present. We see Zulfiqar’s face, voice, image, banner, and fist, as is the case with all martyrs, especially the martyred leaders. We see the fruits of their effort, sacrifices, and blood.
When we come to our Lebanese front, the resistance’s leaders and mujahideen have a strong presence and are steadfast on the battlefield. Various weapons and methods of fighting and tactics are used. The martyrs, especially the leaders, are present through what they established, prepared, trained, and raised.
Hajj Imad Mughniyeh, martyr Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine, and the other martyred leaders are present with every assault drone launched against enemy targets. With every reconnaissance drone bringing us clear pictures of enemy targets, we remember martyred leader Hajj Hassan Al-Laqqis. With every weapon of the resistance used on the battlefield, we remember the martyrs and martyred leaders.
These leaders include the great martyr Hajj Qasem Soleimani, martyred leader Major General Hajj Zahedi, martyred leader Major General Sayyed Hejazi, and martyred leader Brigadier General Sayyed Radhi al-Mousavi. These were leaders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard [IRC]. They accompanied us, supported us, and spent many blessed years with us.
This resistance that is fighting on this front is a result of the sacrifices of the past, present, and the ones in the future – from Imam Musa al-Sadr to martyr Sayyed Abbas Moussawi, martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb, all the martyrs, and the resistance fighters who still adhered to their pledge of honesty and fulfillment of what they had pledged to God Almighty.
We begin here to talk about the political scene and the battlefield. Let’s start from where the worldly journey of martyr Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine ended – Syria, where his life was sealed with martyrdom. Today, too, we see the blessing of this presence and the fruit of this blood, these martyrs, and these sacrifices. The Americans wanted Syria under their control. This was the goal. Many of the slogans that were said were slogans of truth, but they were intended to be false.
One of the main goals of the global war on Syria was for it to be subject to the American administration like many regimes and countries in our Arab and Islamic world or to be plunged into decades-long devastating civil war as is happening in other countries as well.
The Americans will plunge any state or country that its people fail to control and manage into a devastating civil war. Syria, today, has overcome this global war and is still in its position. Can you imagine what would’ve happened if the results were different and the Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 took place?
If Syria today were in the American position or in the “Israeli” position as they want it to be, especially southern Syria, in what state would Lebanon be? In what state would the resistance in Lebanon be? In what state would of all the support fronts for Palestine and Gaza, Iraq, and Iran in particular be? Yemen may not be directly affected by Syria.
With everything that happened in Syria, including the suffering, the siege, and difficult living conditions in which the Americans and their allies hope would shake or change Syria’s position, we heard the position of Mr. President Bashar al-Assad a few days ago in a large party meeting.
I will quote him because the outcome is important. He said, “Nothing will change our position, and we will not budge by an inch as long as the situation does not change and the rights of the Palestinian and Syrian people are not restored. All the suffering that Syria has experienced so far, while it is still under the threat of a global war, has stopped and receded, but Syria is still in the circle of threat. We will provide everything within our capabilities to the Palestinians or any resistance against ‘Israel’ without any hesitation. Our position on the resistance as a concept or in practice will not change, but rather become more firmly entrenched because the events have proven that those who do not make their own decision have no hope for the future. Those who do not possess power have no value in this world.”
When I was listening to the words of President Assad, I felt that the blood of Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine and all the martyrs, including our martyrs, had borne fruit and given the desired result. One of the goals of our involvement in Syria is to defend it so that it remains in the resistance front with the axis of resistance. This is the case now.
The position of Syria, which still embraces the Palestinian resistance factions, is still firm. It continues to support and assist the continued resistance movements, each depending on their circumstances and capabilities.
From here, we also move to the main battle and front is the Gaza front. The West Bank front is complementary to the Gaza front. The Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and Syria fronts are military, political, moral, or material support fronts, but the main battle is in Gaza.
Let us talk a little about the event that is linked to the fate of the entire region. These major events taking place in our region can be approached from several angles. Now, we will not tackle all angles. We will choose one of them which is important and related to the goals of the Palestinian resistance and the axis of resistance as well as that of the “Israeli” enemy, along with its protector and supporter, the United States of America.
Let us take the angle of the Palestinian resistance. At the beginning of the battle, we said that among the goals of the Palestinian resistance, which include Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the national, Islamic, and popular Palestinian resistance factions, that the leaders of the resistance as well as my brothers and I talked about is reviving the Palestinian cause and reminding people of the Palestinians’ rights, forgotten Palestine, the forgotten Christian and Islamic sanctities, the forgotten Gaza, the West Bank, and the occupied 1948 territories, and the forgotten refugee camps abroad. All these were forgotten before October 7.
Some Arab leaders were about to sign Palestine’s death sentence through the completion of the last stages of normalization with the “Israeli” enemy. This was expected to happen within months.
The goal was to remind the world about Palestine, to bring it back to memory, to conscience, to life, to the equations, to battle, to the field, to achievement. It was to restore rights and to impose conditions on the world. This was the reality of Palestine. On the other hand, “Israel” is turning into a natural, recognized entity that is promoted by some Arab regimes and Arab satellite channels. In the eyes of the world and the international community, “Israel” is the only democratic state in our region.
“Israel” and Palestine were viewed as so until the eve of October 7, 2023. We are in the eighth month of this battle. Today, due to steadfastness, resistance, and the enormous sacrifices of women, children, resistance fighters, and mujahideen, this reality that is related to Palestine and the Palestinian cause as well as the enemy’s position has changed to a very large extent.
Palestine today is the number one issue in the world. The name of Palestine, the Palestinians people, the children of Palestine, the women of Palestine, and the name of Gaza is on every lip in all parts of the world.
The whole world is talking about the right of the Palestinian people, the oppression of the Palestinian. The truth about “Israeli” and American lies and deceptions about what happened on October 7, including the allegations of murder, the slaughter of children, and the rape of women, which have been proven false emerged.
In the United Nations, more than 140 countries are calling for a ceasefire and an end to the war. In the United Nations, more than 140 countries are demanding that full membership be given to Palestine, the State of Palestine, and whoever represents Palestine. Only nine countries reject it – America and some other countries that no one has heard of. With all due respect to the citizens of these country, but we have to look their countries’ names up to know where and what these states are.
The scenes of the student demonstrations, sit-ins, and protests in many universities in the United States of America, France, Britain, Germany, Europe, and Australia that raise the Palestinian flag and are in solidarity with the Palestinian people are created by October 7 and what came afterwards. They were created by this battle, steadfastness and heroism.
These demonstrations angered Netanyahu and became anti-Semitic and was accused of preparing for a Holocaust. They angered Trump and the American administration.
Take the vote in the UN a few days ago. The scene there showed who was victorious and who was defeated. The “Israeli” enemy’s UN representative, who was out of his mind, brought a shredder and started shredding a copy of the UN Charter. He then directed an insult. This is one of the forms of “Israeli” arrogance. He began insulting the countries that voted freely. What does this show?
It shows “Israel’s” view of the United Nations and international resolutions. I will talk about this matter as well as some Lebanese people who are betting on the international community to help implement international resolutions on May 25.
To answer these people, let them watch how the “Israeli” ambassador to the United Nations is destroying the UN Charter. What was it the 1701 or 1559? Then, he insulted everyone. But in my opinion, as an observer, the most important political media scene that expresses the image of victory for the Palestinian resistance is when the “Israeli” UN representative raised the picture of the great, courageous leader Abu Ibrahim Yahya Al-Sinwar.
If you want to know who is defeated and who is victorious, take a look at that scene – the frustration, the anger on the face of the “Israeli” entity’s representative to the United Nations and the picture of Sinwar raised in front of all the world’s cameras. Today, the whole world is talking about the right of the Palestinians to a state. Up until October 6, 2023, the world had forgotten about Palestine, the Palestinian people, and a Palestinian state.
Today, the whole world is talking about a Palestinian state and a country for the Palestinians and that there is no solution in the region except by establishing a Palestinian state. This position today in the world terrifies, first of all, Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, the “Israeli” government, and all the Zionists because they are all unanimous in rejecting a Palestinian state. They consider it an existential threat to their entity, and this is what they did not want to hear in the first place.
The Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 and the steadfastness of the Palestinians to this day forced the whole world to talk about a Palestinian state. They forced the hypocritical and lying United States of America to talk about a Palestinian state. They forced the whole world to acknowledge that Palestine cannot be forgotten, the Palestinian people cannot be ignored, and Palestinian rights and the Palestinian cause cannot be erased and that the only solution in the region, as they say, is to establish a real state for this people. This is the true victory; this is a great victory.
On the other hand, there is the image of “Israel” in the world – “Israel” is a democratic state, a state of law, a state that respects international law and observes disciplines, a state that wants to live in peace with its neighbors, a peace-loving state.
The Al-Aqsa Flood, the eight months of steadfastness, and the blood of children and women in Gaza, Palestine, and southern Lebanon exposed the true image of “Israel” before the world – “Israel” the women and children killer, the arrogant “Israel” that has no regard for the international community, international resolutions, international laws, human values, morals, or everything that is right and good in this world.
This is how the world sees “Israel” today – a liar, hypocrite, pretentious, murderous, criminal, and brutal. This is a consequence at the political level. This strategic, political, and media result would not have been achieved through diplomatic, political and media work, international relations, and the efforts of the Palestinians, the Arabs – if there were any from the Arabs – and all the Islamic countries.
These results that I spoke about a while ago would not have been achieved in dozens of years [I’m not going to say hundreds of years].
However, they were achieved through resistance, steadfastness, and sacrifices. This is one of the aspects of the victory of blood over the sword, the victory of Palestinian blood over the Zionist and American sword. Therefore, the events in Gaza and the continuation of steadfastness and resistance in Gaza have put the entire world before the fact that there are events in the region that could lead to a regional war and that could have repercussions on the international and global situation. Hence, the world is responsible to find a treatment and solution, not to turn its back as it had done over the past years.
I will talk about the enemy’s declared and hidden objectives in a few words. It’s been eight months.
My advice to all those who are following, including the Lebanese people, the Palestinian people, the peoples of the region, and the peoples of the world, and we want to evaluate the results, events, or facts, they must first look at the battlefield. Let us see what is happening on the battlefield. That is the real world and not the virtual world. Then, we must see what the enemy, its ministers, current and former generals, experts, commentators, writers, the street, and ordinary people are saying about the battle, their statements, interviews, articles, and opinion polls. In the end of the address, we will conduct an evaluation.
Some people said that Sayyed is citing the enemy. These people do not know politics, poetry, Arabic literature, or history. A long time ago when we were young, we memorized this poetry verse: The merit is what the enemies testified to. This poem exists. See what the enemy is saying, showing, and hiding. This is essential for evaluation.
Yes, if we want to evaluate based on listening to some Arab satellite channels that have been talking since day one about the victory of “Israel”, the defeat of the resistance, and the end of Hamas and the rest of the resistance factions or to the analyzes of the rabble-rousers in the city and the Arab wannabe Zionists, then there is no need to fight, resist, liberate, or do anything. We must surrender and submit. So, ignore these people, as I always say. Hence, we come to the enemy. What are the enemy’s evaluations and what are they saying.
My brothers and sisters, since I closely follow the “Israeli” media, I will provide you with a summary. There is consensus in “Israel” on failure. Even now, in the eighth month, no one is talking about an “Israeli” victory. Netanyahu said that we are one step closer to absolute victory, and the “Israelis” mocked him, even his allies. Where is the absolute victory that you are talking about? Show it to us. There is a consensus among the enemy regarding failure.
When they all talk about goals, what they’re saying has been memorized and repeated. The “Israelis” are addressing their government and saying that you set three objectives. One of which is to eliminate Hamas and the Palestinian resistance. However, they are still fighting eighth months into the war. They are carrying out qualitative operations, filming them, and publishing them in the media.
You said that you want, through military action and war, to recover the prisoners. Eight months have passed, and many prisoners are still in the hands of the Palestinian resistance. The “Israelis” are talking like this, not me. You said the third goal was to end the threat posed by the Gaza Strip. You said you’re done and that you only have Rafah. Yet, you take the missiles and go to the Gaza Envelope, Beersheba, and Ashkelon yesterday. Hence, this threat is not over, the prisoners have not been released, and Hamas has not been eliminated yet after eighth months.
These are the enemy's declared goals at the very least. The hidden goals are related to the issue of displacing the Palestinians, which was also not achieved due to the Palestinians' adherence to their land and their steadfastness. In the first part of the speech, we said that one of the resistance’s goals was to revive the Palestinian cause and we talked about the subject, and when we came to the enemy, we said that none of its goals had been achieved. Therefore, it is not only failure to achieve the goals, but also being dealt more strategic losses, some of which we have talked about on other occasions.
“Israel” presents itself as the strongest country in the region that possesses the strongest army and air force in the region. It is supported and backed by the most powerful country in the world – there is no debate that America is the strongest country in the world. The US provides it with hundreds of planes loaded with missiles and bombs, dozens of ships, an open bridge, expertise and technology, and satellites and intelligence agencies. It even intervened to defend it in the Red Sea against the brothers in Yemen, from Iraq, and also against the Iranian missiles and drones in Operation True Promise a few weeks ago. America is doing everything it can. Today, “Israel” that presents itself as the most powerful country in the region and is supported by the most powerful country in the world is facing Gaza. The Gaza Strip has an area of 370 km2, more or less. There are only two million people. They have been steadfast under siege for 20 years. There are resistance movements that have modest military capabilities compared to the regular armies and even the rest of the resistance movements in the region because they are under siege. Yet, “Israel” failed to achieve any of its goals after eight months. What is the result?
This is not just a failure. This means that this state is an impotent state, a failed state, an untrustworthy state. The same applies to its government, its leadership, its army, and its security services. Where is its strategic impact? Here, we must look at it from the viewpoint of the people of this entity who are brought from all over the world with the promise of milk, honey, and security. These people are seeing the losses and the sacrifices. I will come back to this later. It's been eight months, and the enemy still does not accept that there is victory or an image of victory.
An opinion poll showed that 70% of “Israelis” are demanding the resignation of the chief of staff, who admitted that he was responsible for October 7. If he’d achieved something real in these past seven or eight months, they would not have called for his resignation now, and they would have told him to continue, and we will talk later.
But the chief of staff is the army commander, i.e. the failed and incapable army commander. When you talk about confidence in the “Israeli” army, government, and state, you just have to look at the numbers in the opinion polls.
One of the most important results is that today at least 30% say that this state uninhabitable. This would not have happened had it not been for the Al-Aqsa Flood, the eight-month-war on Gaza, and the support fronts. An extraordinary number of people – 30% – are convinced that they cannot live in this country. This issue is over.
In opinion polls about those who left Palestine, there are people who are saying that about 80% and others say 40% who do not want to return. This is reverse migration. Today, the real achievement is the current scene – “Israel”, backed by America, Europe, and the West, in addition to the Arab and regional situation, and despite the alienation of the Palestinians and their oppression, is an incapable state. This is being achieved, deepening, and increasing day after day.
It is a state unable to recover its prisoners after eight months. It’s unable to achieve a decisive victory in the Gaza Strip, which has been besieged for 20 years. It is a state that is unable to bring the settlers of the Gaza envelope back. It is unable to bring the settlers of northern Palestine back. It is unable to secure its ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and now the Indian Ocean.
Based on the promise of the dear and beloved leader of Ansarullah, Sayyed Abdul Malik Badreddine al-Houthi, it will also be unable to protect its ships in the new phase of escalation in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is unable to protect its entity in the face of missiles and drones coming from thousands of kilometers away. It needs American, French, British, and Arab mobilization. However, it ultimately fails. Every day, this leadership, army, and entity prove their inability and failure before its people and before the peoples of the region. One of the hidden goals of the war against Gaza, although it was later announced by the “Israelis”, is to restore the image of deterrence – deterring the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Yemenis, the Iraqis, Iran, and Syria. After eight months, where is “Israel's” eroding image of deterrence? Also, listen to the “Israeli” generals, experts, and leaders. What are they saying in this area?
We are faced with a failed and an incapable state that has not been able to restore the image of deterrence. In fact, the image has declined further, especially after the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Operation Truthful Promise and the continuation of fronts in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Yemen, in Iraq. This is a state without deterrence, without a successful army, and without successful leadership. What is the future of this state?
Therefore, today more and more people within the enemy entity are talking about a predicament – “Israel's” predicament in the region and “Israel's” predicament in Gaza. Senior generals, former chiefs of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, heads of operations and information divisions, heads of ministries, heads of government, ministers of war, and foreign ministers are saying we are in trouble. Yesterday, US Secretary of State Blinken expressed this predicament clearly and frankly – “Israel” is in a predicament. If it continues, it will face a rebellion, and if it withdraws, it will have lost the war, and its goals will not be achieved.
What are the senior “Israeli” generals and officials saying? They are saying that Netanyahu’s insistence on continuing the war is dragging us into the abyss. This is true. Today, it is said in “Israel” what His Eminence Imam Khamenei said a few weeks after the war in Gaza. He said that the “Israelis” “are ensnared in a quagmire in Gaza.” They cannot withdraw, and they cannot stay. Today, the “Israelis” say that if we stay [in Gaza], we will have to face daily attrition, daily killing, and daily operations. The support fronts are open and continuous, with the “Israelis” unable to stop them. In turn, they are affecting the morale of the “Israeli” army, people, security, and economy. In other words, this means a battle of attrition and going to the abyss.
If we leave Gaza, this means we will not get back the prisoners and could not eliminate the Palestinian resistance as well as the capabilities and weapons of the resistance. By doing so, we will be admitting our failure and defeat in the largest battle with the Palestinians since 1948.
This is what is happening today, brothers and sisters. If we go back to history, it is the largest battle that the Palestinian people are waging against the “Israeli” enemy and vice versa. It is a real war, a real battle. The “Israelis” are emerging defeated. What will the repercussions of this be on the entity?
The Palestinians will impose their conditions. The Palestinians now have more courage, more confidence, and a greater presence at the battlefield, regionally, and internationally. “Israel” sees this as a real disaster. That is why it is stuck in a dilemma. Imagine, for example, one of the debates among the “Israelis” today and yesterday. The chief of staff of the army explicitly said that the “Israeli” government lacks a political vision for the day after. Hence, we are forced to re-enter Jabalia and the Zaytoun neighborhood, and this is exhausting for the army.
Netanyahu today is talking about the high prices being paid. Can you imagine a leadership of a country that does not have a clear vision of the day after? Why do they not have a clear vision of the day after? It is not that they do not have a clear vision; they have a dilemma. What will he do the day after? Netanyahu figured he’d bring Arab countries to administer the Gaza Strip, rebuild Gaza, and protect him from Gaza. These Arab countries, even those who have normalized ties with “Israel”, objected to this request and position. What will he do then? They told him the alternative is to bring the Palestinian Authority from Ramallah. He refused and said, ‘this is not negotiable. The survival of Hamas is not negotiable.’ So how are you going to go about this?
He doesn't know what he wants. He had one hope – to install a Palestinian civil authority made up from tribes and families or from some small political forces that are not hostile, as they put it. He did not find them in Gaza. Therefore, he has reached a dead end. He is continuing the fight because he is looking for an image of victory.
This is the last point that I will talk about when it comes to the Gaza scene. He is insisting on [invading] Rafah. Though it seems on the surface that this will lead to a problem with the Americans, regardless of whether this is real or theatrics. Why do you insist on invading Rafah?
Do you want evidence that Netanyahu is admitting defeat and that he did not achieve victory? He admitted it in more than one statement. He says, “Whoever is preventing us from entering Rafah wants us to be defeated in this war.”
What does this mean? This means that so far, he is defeated. To shake off the perception of defeat, he needs to invade Rafah. He is looking for an image of victory, not a real victory. As we said before, it does not matter if he enters Rafah. Does this mean that the resistance has ended in Gaza? Does this mean that the weapons were put down in Gaza? Does this mean that the people of Gaza have given up the option of resistance? Does this mean that the Zionist prisoners will be released unconditionally?
Not at all. What absolute victory would be achieved if he entered Rafah? This is an expression of “Israeli” weakness, political weakness, military weakness. Yes, great sacrifices are being made – tens of thousands of martyrs, tens of thousands of wounded, the destruction of hundreds of thousands of housing units.
In our Arab world, unfortunately, instead of turning the numbers of martyrs, wounded, destroyed homes, and tragedies in Gaza into a means of condemning the enemy, exposing the enemy, and holding “Israel” responsible for massacres, disasters, crimes, and genocide, some Zionist-wannabe Arabs are turning it into a means of discouragement and holding the resistance in Palestine responsible for these humanitarian disasters.
This is, of course, the pinnacle of deception, forgery, and betrayal. In fact, the pinnacle of fraud, deception, and betrayal is what some of these Zionist wannabes and some Arab satellite channels are doing. The brutality of the enemy, the audacity of the enemy, the silence of the world towards the enemy, the silence of the international community towards the enemy are the ones forcing people to make these sacrifices. The resistance that is defending its people, its sanctities, its cause, its present, and its future bears no responsibility.
I will conclude this part with a couple of words about the Americans to remind people that the theatrics that we are seeing these days must not fool anyone. The Americans are committed to “Israel”, “Israel's” security, and “Israel's” strength. It is being said that now there is an arms shipment that the Americans are withholding from the “Israelis”. The fact is that they withhold the shipment for several days and send it a few days later.
The “Israelis” know not to worry because the Americans will send the shipment. We must pay attention to this American deception and hypocrisy; we must always pay attention to it, even if we see some tactical differences or situations in which there appears to be a debate between American and “Israeli” officials. A few days ago, there was an Egyptian-Qatari mediation, and a document was presented. The Americans agreed to it, and it was assumed that the “Israelis” would agree to. Blinken circled the region for a week, saying that the ball is in Hamas’ court and that Hamas was presented with a generous offer, let us see what its position is going to be.
Biden said the same thing. American officials also said the same thing. Hamas, on behalf of the Palestinian resistance factions, surprised them by accepting the Egyptian-Qatari card. It surprised them, and they were certainly surprised. The person who was most surprised was Netanyahu.
In a session, I jokingly told the brothers that Netanyahu is sitting and praying – you saw, he put the kippah on. Netanyahu was praying that Hamas would not accept the offer. However, Hamas accepted, and he was stuck. He cannot go through with the agreement because the agreement that Hamas ultimately agreed to is a defeat for “Israel” and a downfall for Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, etc.
Netanyahu announced his rejection, and the Americans swallowed their tongues, remained silent, and changed their position. I wonder, my brothers and sisters, if Hamas had rejected the Egyptian-Qatari card, what would have happened? America, Europe, the West, and the international community would have held Hamas responsible for everything that was happening in the region. However, they did not hold Netanyahu or Netanyahu’s government accountable for anything because he rejected the paper that they agreed to and supported.
At the UN Security Council, the American veto is used against a Palestinian state or any country that calls for a two-state solution. At the United Nations, the Americans reject that solution. Countries that declare their intention to recognize a Palestinian state are threatened by the American administration. America threatened the International Criminal Court and its judges and officials with sanctions after the ICC said it might issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and a number of enemy leaders.
This is America. What has changed in the American position? What did the university students in America, where there is talk about freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, pluralism, and democracy, do? They did not burn, break, kill, destroy, or assault anyone or anything. They sat in, demonstrated, and only raised the Palestinian flag and talked about Palestine. They did not even say that we support Hamas or the [Islamic] Jihad.
They only talked about Palestine, the Palestinian people, the children of Palestine, and the women of Palestine. All they asked for was to stop the war. The whole world saw what the police did to the university students, what Biden said, what Trump said, what the Speaker of the US House of Representatives said, what the Republican Party said and how many asked for the students to be punished? Some prevented them from receiving degrees. Others withheld scholarships from them. People wanted them to be punished.
If there are still people in the Arab and Islamic world who believe the lie of freedom, democracy, human rights, freedom of expression, and America being the leader calling for freedom and democracy, they should take a look at what is happening to these sit-ins. This is all empty talk. The Al-Aqsa Flood as well as the blood of the children and women of Gaza exposed all these lies and deception.
In the end, brothers and sisters, what is left for the “Israelis” is to say that they will take Rafah. Meanwhile, the Americans are telling them not to engage in a major operation, but rather with a gnawing operation. Regardless of what will happen, if we assume they took Rafah. What about later? Now, Netanyahu returned to Jabalia. He said that Hamas has 24 battalions, and he eliminated 20, leaving 4 in Rafah. Where did those fighting in Jabalia, the Zaytoun neighborhood, and in the middle of the Gaza Strip come from? Did they come from abroad? This is proof that everything he says is just lies to create an imaginary victory.
Based on our assessment, the enemy has only two options. It either continues with the war on Gaza or stops. There is no third option. If they stop, they have no choice but to return to the paper that Hamas agreed to on behalf of the factions, and this is a defeat for the enemy, a defeat in every sense of the word. We'll talk about it later; now there's not enough time. However, if they continued with the war, it will be a war of attrition that consumes it on the human, security, economic, spiritual, moral, and psychological levels. By doing so, it is imposing a war on itself that will be prolonged as well. It does not matter if it hides the extent of its losses.
Yesterday, the well-known “Israeli” newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth’s front page was entirely black. There were names and not numbers written on it. The newspaper was not saying that 1,500 “Israeli” soldiers have been killed since October 7. Rather, it wrote the names of 1,500 “Israeli” soldiers and officers. Meanwhile, the “Israeli” government has not yet acknowledged 700 dead. That number is less than half of those the paper mentioned.
In other words, the real number, at least, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, is double. You may hide the number for a day, two, three, four, or five. We mourn our martyrs on television, but they bury theirs in secret. Show your funerals in the media? Even the 700, where are their funerals? They cannot even show the funeral of the 700 killed in the entity.
Therefore, exhausting the manpower will continue and so will the security, moral, psychological, and economic exhaustion. As his friends and opponents told him, your insistence on this war is taking “Israel” to the abyss, to disaster. In all cases, if he stops the war, the resistance will win. If he takes the entity to the abyss, this means the historical victory of the resistance. Hence, no matter the sacrifices, the suffering, the martyrs, the wounded, this battle is a real, serious, historical battle in Gaza, in the West Bank, in the entire axis. It is creating a real future, a real achievement, and a real history.
I will talk more about the Lebanese support front on May 25, God willing. But this front will continue providing support, developing its operations quantitatively and qualitatively in proportion to the existing circumstances and developments, and imposing equations on the battlefield, which I will also talk about later.
The “Israelis” have begun speaking about them – the link between the Lebanese support front and Gaza. This is a conclusive, final, and decisive matter. What I would like to tell you today is that the Americans accepted this fact. The French, who also has an initiative, accepted this fact, and the entire world accepted this fact. A large portion of the “Israelis” accepted this fact.
That is why the Americans informed Netanyahu and the enemy government that there is no solution on the northern front, that is, with Lebanon, before stopping the war in Gaza. Now, many within the entity are telling the “Israeli” government that there is no solution in the north without stopping the war in Gaza.
We also tell the settlers (in the north) who are in a hurry to return before September 1, which is an important date because it means registration in schools and the beginning of the academic year, if the status quo in the north continues, it means tens of thousands displaced from the north will remain displaced. Even if the war stops, they have the problem of remain in places of displacement due to the school year.
Regarding the September 1issue, there is a problem between Netanyahu and Gantz and others. We tell the “Israelis”. If you want to address the situation, the solution is to go to your government and tell it to stop the war on Gaza. The Lebanon front’s first and real goal is to contribute to putting pressure on the enemy to stop the war on Gaza. Therefore, this connection exists between the two fronts, and no one will be able to break it.
All the internal pressures that we had inside Lebanon did not produce results; all the external pressures did not produce results; all the intimidations did not produce results; all the dates set for an all-out war on Lebanon that were promoted by the Zionists and some Lebanese as well did not bear fruit and will not bear fruit.
We must also say something about the “Israeli” war minister. This so-called Minister of Defense said a month ago that we eliminated half of Hezbollah’s fighters, and the other half is hiding. I used to say that he was dumb. Now, I say he is crazier than ever. Does the front in southern Lebanon say that, Gallant?
In any case, our front imposes a state of deterrence, imposes equations, a real element of strength. In short, as I said about Gaza, read what the enemy says – enemy leaders, ministers, generals, residents of the north. They are saying that northern Palestine is occupied. Ignore what Arab Zionist wannabes are saying.
The last topic that we promised we would talk about is the issue of the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, which today has turned into a primary issue, the primary issue at the national level.
First: The Lebanese unanimously agree that this is a problem. Thank God there is consensus. We found an issue on which there is a Lebanese consensus. This is a blessing. There is a Lebanese consensus that this is a problem, a national problem, and that it must be addressed. This is a new development. One, two, or three years ago, there were political forces in Lebanon that did not agree to address this issue. They considered that the file of the displaced [Syrians] was part of the political battle that America and Europe are waging against President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian regime, and they are also part of this battle.
But the magic turned on the magician. The issue turned on these political forces who vowed that the displaced Syrians will only return over our dead bodies. This is done now, thank God.
I do not want to open old files, but what I am saying is that there is a consensus regarding this file and that it must be dealt with. This is excellent. This is the second consensus. How do we address it? We can talk for hours and days, put forth what each of us presented and did, hold others responsible, and put scores. But this is futile. We must take advantage of this opportunity and the Lebanese national consensus on this issue to seriously address it. The House of Representatives meeting called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday is an opportunity. Hopefully, the representatives present practical proposals and suggestions, and the meeting does not turn into a session of wrangling and scoring points, etc. As long as there is consensus on this issue and we do not disagree on it, let us search for a solution.
First: There should be a proper diagnosis of the problem. It is like when a doctor says that a person has an illness. If the problem is in the kidney, the doctor does not look at the liver, the stomach, or the heart. Let us diagnose the problem. Where is the disease? What are the causes? We all know, brothers and sisters, that the one who bears responsibility in the first place is America, Europe, and what they call the international community. I remember years ago, I went to Syria and coordinated directly with President Bashar al-Assad on the issue of the return of the displaced to the Qusayr area, given that we were in Qusayr and it was said that we bear responsibility. We formed a file for the displaced and started contacting all the displaced families in Lebanon who are residents of the Qusayr region, its cities, and villages. Do you know what the result was? We encouraged them to return and told them that we have guarantees and that we are with you and by your side and that there is a commitment from the Syrian state.
What was preventing them from returning were the Lebanese organizations funded by the Europeans, the European Associations, and the European Commission. They increased financial support for them and increased contributions so that they would not return. We considered that if tens of thousands returned to the Qusayr area, this would be a good start.
Hence, the problem is not with Syria. It is not that the state in Syria does not want the displaced to return. No, there's no problem there. We have reviewed this topic for a long time. The problem is that there are those who do not want the displaced Syrians to return to Syria. Who are these people who don’t want them to return to Syria? Frankly, in Lebanon it is the March 14 forces. Now, they have modified their position. Excellent. This means that we can now say that all the political forces in Lebanon want the displaced to return to Syria, with the exception of some who benefit financially, including the NGOs and groups financed by Europe. However, when it comes to the political position, there is a consensus. Who is the obstacle? The Americans and the Europeans. Instead of sitting around, flogging each other and shouting at each other, and instead of delegations going separately, let us form a group.
Now, the Parliament can make a recommendation asking political forces and the government to send a delegation to go to America and Europe, to the countries that are preventing Lebanon from returning the displaced refugees to Syria. Let them, first, convince them. Thank God, on Sunday, we heard a voice holding America and Europe responsible – many years later. This must be confirmed and repeated. This is first.
Second: There is no choice but to communicate with the Syrian government. You want to return one million or two million refugees to Syria, but you do not want to talk to the Syrian government! Thank God, this has been addressed. In other words, the political forces that were refusing months ago to engage in any official communication between the Lebanese government and the Syrian government, have now agreed. They are supposed to agree. This is also a good step and opens doors.
Third: Yes, there are difficult circumstances. Let us be objective and realistic. There are many displaced people in Lebanon. Perhaps if you tell them now to return to Syria, they will not return even if you gave them security and safety guarantees. They would prefer to stay. Why? Because here they have, assistance, health cards, education, job opportunities, etc. They can send money to their relatives in Syria. So, what are the incentives for them to return to Syria? Meanwhile, they are in Lebanon safe and secure.
The problem is when it is said that Syria must be helped to secure and create conditions for the return of the displaced. This is not just a statement of protest. This is realistic and logical. I am telling you now that if they give billions to Syria, it would be good. But at the very least, lift the sanctions on Syria. In other words, if the Lebanese Parliament wants the displaced to return to Syria, one of the main steps is to demand the United States of America to lift the Caesar Act and the European countries lift sanctions on Syria.
Syria, brothers and sisters, needs aid. However, if the sanctions were lifted, Syria would use the human wealth, including experts and minds, and the financial capabilities it has to recover in a few years, even without aid. This will open the door for the return of the displaced to it. Otherwise, despite anything you do and say, if the Caesar Act and the sanctions on the regime are not lifted, you will not be able to return the displaced. This is very realistic and very real. These displaced need water, electricity, job opportunities, and a source of livelihood. They have needs.
Therefore, it must be said: Help the displaced Syrians inside Syria. What you give to the displaced inside Lebanon, give it to the displaced in Syria. There is safety and security there.
There are means of exerting pressure. Demonstrations are one form of expressing an opinion. Delivering speeches, taking positions, and making decisions are all good. However, in the past we proposed or supported an idea that I will reiterate. Many displaced Syrians were able to reach Cyprus. Cyprus and Europe rejected this; the Cypriot president and the president of the European Commission came to Lebanon. They suggested that they provide solutions, aid, etc.
The solution is by putting pressure. If a Lebanese consensus is reached, let us go ahead. There are those who would like to say that this government is the government of the duo. This is not true. Yes, the duo has influence somewhere. If this government were the government of the duo, we would have brought tons of fuel from Iran and solved the electricity problem in Lebanon. In the end, this is a government, and there is a prime minister. There is international pressure. These are facts that exist, and no one can ignore them.
Today, we must obtain a Lebanese consensus, an official and popular Lebanese position that says: Let us open the sea. Then, let the Prime Minister say no. The army leadership is subordinate to the political authority. The political authority is our ministers and the rest of the ministers, most of who agree. This needs a national cover. So, go ahead and create a national cover. We never proposed forcing displaced Syrians to board boats and leave for Cyprus and Europe. Today, we are not saying that. We are just asking that they be given a chance. Allow them to leave. They are prohibited from leaving, and so they turn to smuggling and to rubber boats. There are drownings in the sea, because the Lebanese army is implementing a political decision to stop them from migrating.
A national political decision must be made. This is how you solve the issue of the displaced. This is the solution. For the rest, you will hear endless speeches that do not satiate hunger. There should be a national decision that says: we have opened the sea, our displaced Syrian brothers. Whoever wants to leave for Europe, for Cyprus, the sea is in front of you. Take a boat and board it. Many of these displaced people want to migrate. The Europeans will not only pay a billion euros, but 10 billion, 20 billion, and 30 billion. We guarantee this. The Prime Minister only has to relax and set conditions.
Just open the sea. You just have to say yes and make a brave and bold decision. Because when this decision is made, the American ambassador, the ambassadors of European countries, the US State Department, and perhaps the Pentagon and the CIA will call and threaten.
The solution to this issue is easy and only requires courage and political will. The solution is easy and clear. They will come to you and ask you about the solution. You tell them that we and the Syrian state want to cooperate so the displaced can return to Syria. We want the aid to be given to them inside Syria. It all becomes solvable. There is nothing else in the hands of the Lebanese.
If 4 or 5 million Lebanese decide to demonstrate, how will this affect the Europeans and Americans? On the battlefield, by being strong and present and able to establish a certain equation makes a difference. It is not by begging. Regarding the issue of the displaced, what can Lebanon do? They tell you, for example, the General Security. What can the General Security do? Can the General Security and the Lebanese Army transport one or two million displaced Syrians, place them on the border, and kick them to Syria? This is unrealistic. The General Security or the Lebanese army can’t do anything. Do not burden the military and security institutions as well as the Lebanese state what they cannot bear. Let us not neglect the humanitarian dimension of the issue.
In any case, in our opinion, this is the solution. Tal to Syria and reach an understanding. Put pressure on the Americans and Europeans because they are the ones preventing the return of the displaced. The pressure is to open the seas and beaches so that the displaced can arrive safely. They board proper ships and not rubber boats that expose them to death and drowning. This is what changes the situation. Otherwise, we are only preoccupying ourselves with an issue that will not bear fruit. This is where true sovereignty and true will lie. Therefore, if, one day, the people desire to live, there should be a will to live. But if later the embassies and ambassadors call, put pressure, threaten, and people decide to back down, this means that we are wasting time on this issue.
Ultimately, there is a great lesson that we learn from the developments in our region. When we are our own masters, make our own decisions, are true sovereigns and patriots, are free and not slaves of ambassadors, and possess the elements of political, popular, military, or field power, we can impose our conditions on the enemy, the adversary, and the world because we live in a world that only understands the logic of force.
We pledge and promise our martyred leader Sayyed Mustafa Badreddine, Zulfiqar, to continue the path. These are the fruits of his blood in Lebanon, in Palestine, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, and in the axis of resistance, ripening, bearing fruit, and achieving victories.
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you.
