[News] Hezbollah ‘Ready to Defend Lebanon’ if War Is Imposed

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com 
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/hezbollah-ready-to-defend-lebanon-if-war-is-imposed-sheikh-qassem/> 



  Hezbollah ‘Ready to Defend Lebanon’ if War Is Imposed – Sheikh Qassem

October 31, 2025
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah. (Photo: video grab)

*By Palestine Chronicle Staff 
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff>*


          Hezbollah’s Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the US of enabling
          Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, affirming that
          Lebanon’s people, not foreign powers, are its true sovereigns
          and vowing readiness to defend the country if attacked.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said that 
Lebanon’s sovereignty rests with its people—especially those steadfastly 
cultivating their land along the southern borders—describing them as 
“the true sovereigns.”

Speaking at a ceremony in southern Lebanon, Qassem accused the United 
States of “sponsoring aggression rather than mediating peace,” 
denouncing what he called Washington’s interference in Lebanese affairs.

“The US claims to work toward resolving the situation in Lebanon, but it 
is not an honest broker—it supports aggression and its expansion,” he said.

Qassem criticized Washington’s silence over what he described as more 
than 5,000 Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, saying that such 
transgressions have increased with every US envoy visit. “Where does the 
US stand on these violations? On the contrary, it justifies them,” he added.

Rejecting criticism of the Lebanese Army’s right to defend the country, 
Qassem questioned the US stance on the killing of civilians and the 
“unjustified assassination of a government employee.”

He declared that no amount of intimidation would weaken Lebanon’s 
resistance.
“We are not advocates of surrender or defeat. Israel can occupy, but it 
cannot remain on our land,” he said.

Addressing the Lebanese public, Qassem urged unity against internal 
division: “We are not asking for support—only that no one stabs us in 
the back or serves Israeli interests. The government bears primary 
responsibility for protecting sovereignty.”

He said Lebanon’s sovereignty faces real threats from both “US 
belligerence” and “Israeli expansion,” stressing that national 
solidarity remains the key to reclaiming occupied territories. “The 
Resistance’s goal is liberation; the enemy’s goal is occupation,” he added.

Reaffirming Hezbollah’s commitment to the Taif Agreement, Qassem said it 
should not be applied selectively. “Those who claim to abide by Taif 
cannot pick and choose its articles, especially those concerning the 
liberation of Lebanese soil.”

He concluded that the Resistance seeks only to protect Lebanon’s 
sovereignty, not to replace any state institution. “Israel must 
implement the agreement as Lebanon already has; any new accord would 
only absolve it and enable further aggression. The Resistance remains a 
pillar of national strength that must be preserved,” he said.

In a separate interview with Al-Manar TV, Qassem said Hezbollah is 
“ready to defend Lebanon” but not seeking to start a war.
“If a battle is forced upon us, we will fight with whatever means we 
have—even to the last man or woman—and we will not allow the enemy to 
cross into South Lebanon,” he warned.

He described the ongoing Israeli attacks as “pressure from America and 
Israel to achieve through politics what they failed to accomplish 
militarily,” and warned that any new war would bring Israel “no results.”

The Hezbollah leader called for the full implementation of the ceasefire 
agreement, saying that “everyone benefits if the agreement is upheld, 
but if it is not, we will continue preparing to resist any aggression.”

/(PC, Al Mayadeen)/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20251031/94d7446e/attachment.htm>