Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered an Ashura address Wednesday evening, accusing Israel of a plan to destroy Lebanese society militarily and culturally, and asserting that Hezbollah has the right to defend itself. He claimed the group has foiled the 'Greater Israel' project and rejected any Israeli-controlled 'test zones' in southern Lebanon. Qassem's speech follows his earlier call to exploit a US-Iran deal to force an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, as The Zioneer reported moments earlier.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem used his Ashura address Wednesday evening to frame the Israeli military campaign in southern Lebanon as an existential threat to the Lebanese people. 'The Israeli plan in Lebanon is to eliminate Hezbollah socially, militarily, and culturally — meaning to destroy a large part of the Lebanese people through killing, expulsion, and displacement, in order to ease the 'swallowing' of Lebanon,' Qassem said, according to the Abu Ali Express channel.
He asserted the right to self-defense and claimed Hezbollah has foiled the 'Greater Israel' project. Qassem also explicitly rejected any Israeli-designated 'test zones' or colored military zones in southern Lebanon, stating, 'Israel has to leave — and it will indeed leave.'
The address comes just hours after Qassem welcomed the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement and called for leveraging it to force an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as The Zioneer reported at 19:04. It also follows a series of similar statements by Qassem in recent weeks rejecting any diplomatic process involving direct talks with Israel or disarmament, which he previously called 'absurd and shameful for Lebanon.' The current speech reinforces Hezbollah's maximalist public position as the confrontation continues, without mentioning the November 2024 ceasefire agreement's terms. The Israeli military has not formally responded to Qassem's latest remarks as of this bulletin's drafting.
2 developments
- StrongHezbollah chief Qassem: Iran ’s power will reshape regional order, Israel seeks to 'disable' Lebanon
- DevelopingQassem: Disarming Hezbollah will destroy Lebanon
- DevelopingHezbollah's Naim Qassem Rejects Ceasefire Deal, Vows Continued Resistance
- DevelopingNaim Qassem: Direct talks with Israel absurd, shameful for Lebanon
Source and signal
- Internal intake