The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says unfolding developments in the occupied territories suggest that annihilation of the Israeli regime is not a wish anymore, but a reality that will come true in the near future.
‘The course of developments in the occupied Palestine indicates that Zionists are moving towards downfall and collapse. All decisions taken by Israeli authorities would only reinforce the determination, faith and perseverance of Palestinian people to carry out more retaliatory operations,’ Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech during a Monday ceremony in the Lebanese capital city of Beirut in commemoration of veteran Hezbollah fighters.
He lambasted the far-right cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for passing a draft bill, which after becoming a law would authorise the execution of Palestinian prisoners, saying, ‘The savage Israeli enemy believes it can deter Palestinians by posing threats against Palestinian resistance fighters, and imposition of death penalty on them.’
‘We express our solidarity with Palestinian prisoners, and take on our own responsibility in this regard. The entire Muslim world is obliged to support the Palestinian nation in the face of the Israeli regime,’ Nasrallah said.
‘I address Palestinian prisoners, their families and the entire Palestinian nation that the Lebanese nation is all aware of the pains and sufferings that you are now enduring in the West Bank, Huwara, Nablus and East al-Quds (East Jerusalem), as we have experienced the sufferings throughout all years of Israeli occupation and heroic resistance,’ the Hezbollah leader said.
He added: ‘Thousands of Lebanese resistance fighters have been arrested and held in Israeli jails either in southern Lebanon or elsewhere across the occupied Palestinian territories. The Lebanese youths should know about them and the sacrifices they have made.’
The Hezbollah chief further highlighted that his movement is acting as a deterrent force in the face of the Israeli military, and its military prowess and defence capabilities enable Lebanese Armed Force to protect the country’s southern borders and confront any possible act of aggression by Israel.
‘Diligent efforts must be made in order to liberate Shebaa Farms and Kafrchouba Hills from the grip of the Israeli occupation. All those who care about Israel’s security, above all the United States, seek to strip Lebanon of its strong position,’ Nasrallah said.
The Hezbollah leader went on to stress that the demarcation of Lebanon’s southern maritime border with Israel does not translate into normalisation of ties with the occupying regime, warning against any delay in oil and gas exploration activities in Lebanese territorial waters.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Nasrallah emphasised that Hezbollah does not accept the power vacuum in Lebanon after President Michel Aoun left the presidential palace on October 30 last year, and strongly supports the election of a new head of state.
‘Hezbollah insists on the two-third quorum for the parliament to convene and elect a new president. We categorically reject any foreign diktats to impose a president on Lebanon,’ he stated.
Nasrallah added that Hezbollah will back Christian politician Suleiman Frangieh to be the country’s president.
‘The natural candidate we support in the presidential elections is (former) minister Suleiman Frangieh,’ Nasrallah said.
Lebanon’s presidency has seen stalemate several times since the 1975-1990 civil war. The country has also had only a caretaker government since May 2022.
The Arab country has been mired in an economic crisis that the World Bank has described as one of the worst in recent history, which comes amid crippling sanctions imposed by the US and its allies.
The Lebanese pound has lost more than 95 per cent of its value on the black market since 2019.
According to the United Nations, the ongoing financial crisis in Lebanon has caused poverty rates to reach more than 80 per cent of the population, and food prices have risen by an astonishing 2,000 per cent.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking Hezbollah official has stressed the need to elect the country’s new president through dialogue and domestic consensus without any foreign interference.
‘We believe that Lebanese people should elect a president for their Lebanon. What will save our country is to spring into action and pick the next head of state without further waste of time. Those who intend to prolong the political process for the election of the president should know that such an approach will not benefit them,’ the head of Hezbollah Executive Council, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, said during a ceremony in the southern Lebanese village of Kharayeb on Sunday.
He added that enemies have used all means at their disposal in order to plunge the country into chaos, noting that Hezbollah and its allies have, however, withstood such attempts and thwarted the seditious moves.
‘Despite all the lies and campaigns that certain parties and embassies have launched against Hezbollah, the movement has always remained committed to the principle of de-escalation,’ he said.
‘We care about Lebanon more than anyone else. We are decent and strong enough to defend our rights and our nation. The deceptive gestures and tall tales of foreign embassies are actually meant to create chaos within the Lebanese society. We must exercise vigilance and deal with enemies’ bids fiercely,’ the Hezbollah official highlighted.
Moreover, the deputy chairman of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, said ‘latest developments’ have increased the chances for ‘consensus’ on presidential election.
‘It is our foremost priority to elect a president, prevent collapse of the economy and rescue the country. The main priority of the rival camp, however, is to embark on a new adventure and alter the domestic political equations,’ the senior Hezbollah official said.
‘They want to seize control of the country to change its identity, position and regional role, and put it on the path of normalisation (with Israel),’ Sheikh Qaouk added.
‘There are now international sides, besides lawmakers and political forces in Lebanon that have changed their stance in favour of the consensus plan.
‘They have come to realise that the only way out of the ongoing crisis is through dialogue,’ he said, noting that such a change of position has ‘infuriated’ the rival camp and prompted it to wage a ‘smear campaign against Hezbollah and its supporters.’
Lebanon’s presidency has seen a stalemate several times since the 1975-1990 civil war. The country has also had only a caretaker government since May 2022.
The Arab country has been mired in an economic crisis that the World Bank has described as one of the worst in recent history, which comes amid crippling sanctions imposed by the US and its allies.
The Lebanese pound has lost more than 95 per cent of its value on the black market since 2019.
The situation in Lebanon is dire, with the country facing multiple interconnected crises.
These include a severe economic collapse, a political stalemate, and social unrest.
While there are multiple factors contributing to the crisis, the US’s historical interference in Lebanese politics and its recent policies towards the country have played a significant role in exacerbating the situation.
One of the main ways that the US has contributed to the crisis is through its sanctions on Lebanon. These sanctions, which have been in place since 2019, have targeted individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah and have had a devastating impact on the Lebanese economy.
