Sheikh Naim Qassem: The Zionist regime has been comprehensively defeated, and our victory is greater than that of 2006.
According to Al-Mayadeen, the Secretary General of Hezbollah in Lebanon gave his first speech since the Israeli aggression against Lebanon stopped.
Sheikh Naim Qassem began his speech by addressing the Lebanese people: “You were patient and jihadist, your children fought the enemy in the valleys to crush this enemy, we thank God that your patience paid off.” The goal of the 64-day Israeli aggression was to destroy Hezbollah, return the settlers to northern Israel, and build a new Middle East. The enemy thought that it could achieve these goals in a short time after attacking Hezbollah’s leadership.
The Secretary General of Hezbollah continued: “We have repeatedly emphasized that we do not want war, but we support Gaza, and if the occupying regime imposes war on us, we are ready to confront it. Support for Palestine will not stop and will continue in various ways.”
He added: “The Israeli aggression was very dangerous and painful, and we were temporarily confused for almost 10 days at the beginning of this aggression.” But after that, Hezbollah rebuilt its strength and power, restored its leadership and command system, and stood firm on the fronts.
Sheikh Naim Qassem emphasized: that Hezbollah targeted the internal front of the Zionist regime with attacks, and the losses of the regime were very large. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced in northern-occupied Palestine, and the enemy reached a stalemate due to the steadfastness of the resistance. The legendary perseverance of the resistance fighters terrified the occupying army and disappointed the Zionist politicians and settlers. Among the signs of the enemy’s defeat were the return of our people to their homes and the failure of the Zionist settlers to return to the areas on the opposite front.
The Hezbollah Secretary General continued: We did not want war at first, but we imposed its end on the Zionist regime from a position of power and by taking fire from this regime. We achieved a greater victory in this battle compared to the victory of 2006. We agreed to stop the war while we had won and we are proud. We won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah ending the resistance and forcing it to justify accepting the agreement.
He emphasized: that 61 percent of Israelis have admitted that they did not win the war. The defeat has encompassed the Zionist regime from all sides. The ceasefire agreement is not a treaty, but an implementation plan in connection with Security Council Resolution 1701. The main axis of this agreement is south of the Litani River, which emphasizes the need for the Israeli army to withdraw from all areas it has occupied. Coordination between the resistance and the Lebanese army to implement the requirements of the agreement will be at the highest level. Our view of the Lebanese army is that its command and forces are national and are stationed in a homeland that belongs to both of us.
Sheikh Naim Qassem noted: The ceasefire agreement was established under the roof of preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty, and we agreed to it while being proud to preserve the right to defend it. We appreciate and are proud of the resistance fighters in the field because they have stood at the peak of the jihad and have embodied generosity and forgiveness. We also appreciate our great and martyred leaders and commanders, and at the top of them, martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who paved the way for us to victory and the path of power and honor, and his companion and companion on the path, martyr Hashem Safi al-Din. We thank Mr. Nabih Berri, the resistant political negotiator, as well as Prime Minister Najib Mikati. We salute the martyrs of the Lebanese army and the medical and civil defense forces who worked in the field. We also thank the Amal movement, for we are one soul in two organizations.
In another part of his speech, the Secretary General of Hezbollah added: We thank the Islamic Republic of Iran, and especially Imam Khamenei, who support the resistance and continue the path of Imam Khomeini, and we also thank the Revolutionary Guard Corps and martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani and the kind people of Iran. We appreciate the leadership and people of Yemen, especially His Excellency Abdulmalek Badreddine al-Houthi, as well as the steadfast Iraq, including the Marja’y, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the people of this country. We also thank the leadership and people of Syria for supporting the resistance.
He stated: “In the coming stage, we will begin the reconstruction of the country alongside the Lebanese people. In line with the promise of the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, we will rebuild Lebanon more beautiful than it was. We are committed to completing the process of forming legal institutions, and at the top of that, electing a president at the appointed time. We will cooperate and negotiate with all forces that want to make Lebanon unified within the framework of the Taif Agreement.”
Sheikh Naim Qassem also said: “The Zionist regime had counted on creating internal sedition in Lebanon, but this goal failed due to cooperation between all sects and groups. The resistance proved in the war that it was ready and that the plans of the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah were effective and took into account all developments.”