Sheikh Qassem: Lebanon’s Front is Holding, The Only Resolution is A Ceasefire in Gaza

By Staff

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated the group’s firm position that the only resolution to the current cycle of violence is a ceasefire in Gaza.

Sheikh Qassem said he is surprised that the “Israelis” and the Americans still believe there is another way to stop the war.

“The support front in Lebanon will hold until the war in Gaza stops. ‘Israel’ can do what it wants, and we can do what we want,” he asserted.

On an occasion marking 40 days since the martyrdom of martyr  Hussein Makki, Sheikh Qassem explained that the US and the “Israeli” approach is to have Tel Aviv agree to the first phase, “which lasts for six weeks,” get back a group of “Israeli” captives and discuss the second phase.

If it comes to an understanding with the resistance on the second phase, it continues to the third phase. Then, “Israel” get to go back to killing the Palestinians again.

He said the Americans do not agree with this horrific, criminal method, but prefer a gentler option. They don’t mind continuing the war but want a reduction in the killing [that is, instead of five massacres a day, one is enough].

“They are not in favor of stopping the war because those who want to stop the war do not present ideas that lead to the continuation of the fighting at a lighter pace or strive for future political solutions and goals of eliminating the presence of Hamas and Hamas' ability to manage Gaza,” he added.

Sheikh Qassem stressed that these people are hypocrites. They do not want the war to stop but disagree on the tactics of continuation.

He outlined what the resistance fighters can do in this situation.

 “They have no choice but to continue fighting, and they are capable of that, and we are confident that if ‘Israel’ continues down this path, it will fall into a war of attrition and will not be able to achieve its goals, which have not been achieved yet.”

“They said that they wanted to crush Hamas, but they could not and will not be able to. They said that they wanted to release the prisoners, but they could not and will not be able to. They said they wanted to clear Gaza, but they could not and will not be able to.”

The deputy chief of Hezbollah said, “the battle in Gaza taught us that there is no such thing as international law and no such thing as human respect and human dignity.”

He believes that major countries are hypocritical when it comes to international law and use it only to control the oppressed and steal the world’s resources. But when it comes to their own interests or those of the “Israeli” entity, Western states stand against international law. He stressed that there is no solution when dealing with “Israeli” occupation other than resistance, and this will continue.

Touching on the resistance in Lebanon, Sheikh Qassem said this is “not merely an idea and is not an experiment project. The resistance in Lebanon has been tested. It liberated [the south] in 2000, defeated the aggression in 2006, struck the Takfiri project in 2017, and carried out a model deterrence operation against the ‘Israeli’ enemy from 2006 to 2023 without the ‘Israelis’ being able to take any step forward. This shows the resistance is capable of liberating the land, protecting Lebanon, and deterring ‘Israel’, and it is the solution to our independence. It is a way to prevent this cancerous gland ‘Israel’ from controlling Palestine and the region so long as the resistance exists throughout this region.”

Sheikh Qassem pointed out that “there are parties in Lebanon that do not believe in resistance and do not believe in liberation, and they have their opinions.”

He addressed them by asking, “when the war is ongoing, even on the border in southern Lebanon, is it correct for you to raise slogans that resemble “Israeli” slogans? Like demanding that the resistance be stripped of its weapons! Or saying that the resistance is the reason or saying that you are encouraging the failure of the resistance to build the Lebanon you covet?!”

He stressed that the words of these people, whether out of ignorance or knowledge, serve the “Israeli” project.

“At least, wait like some of the Lebanese who said that we disagree with Hezbollah, but during the battle we do not speak out about our differences so that the back of the resistance remains protected. We thank them for their position, and this is the national position,” Sheikh Qassem added and noted that “those who take rumors seriously and malicious things and amplify them bear responsibility for what may happen to Lebanon.”

Regarding the article published in the Telegraph, the Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah said, “it’s an intelligence article without sources or evidence about Hezbollah storing weapons at the Beirut airport. It raised hell. Unfortunately, some hostile media outlets took some Lebanese out of their dens and made statements with them while they knew nothing. They asked one of them: What do you think about the Telegraph article? He answers – it is a natural and expected answer in any case – that Hezbollah has weapons, and it is natural that it will benefit from the stores in the battle that will take place! He spoke as if he knew Hezbollah's plans!”

 “One analyst was fair when he said that we are placing Burkan missiles at the airport! He said that the Burkan is manufactured here in Lebanon, so how do we import it from abroad and put it at the airport?! These people do not realize that the loss, if it befalls the country, will befall them first before it befalls us because we have conditioned ourselves to bear sacrifices and believe in victory.

“As for them, the scent of sacrifice will not be easy to overcome. They will die from their anger before they die from the ‘Israeli' missiles. If they covet other things, they will only fall on them.”

Sheikh Qassem concluded, “It is not possible to defend Lebanon or support Gaza through attempts to intimidate and promote Zionism or by riding the wave of Zionist and Western rumors that are being recited to us. We are clear. This support will hold until the war stops in Gaza. Let ‘Israel’ do what it wants, and we can do whatever we want.”