In an escalatory statement issued without the traditional greeting or invocation—its direct and...

In an escalatory statement issued without the traditional greeting or invocation—its direct and sharp phrasing reflecting the gravity of the current moment—Sheikh Naim Qassem, on behalf of Hezbollah, asserted that Israel’s U.S.-backed gamble to break the resistance has failed since the start of the conflict. He emphasized that the events of March 2nd constituted a turning point, met by the resistance through the "Battle of Eaten Straw" (Al-Asf al-Ma'kul), which demonstrated field resilience, effective combat management, and broad popular support.

Statement by His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah🌟, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen:

The Israeli enemy, backed by the American tyrant, wagered on eliminating Hezbollah, its Islamic resistance, and the public united with the resistance, dignity, and honor. It left no means, crime, conspiracy, or path unexplored, yet it has failed since the beginning of the battle of “Uli al-Ba’s” on September 23, 2024, until now.

🫶The decisive bet for the enemy came on March 2, 2026, when we confronted it with the battle of “Al-Asf al-Ma’koul.” The Israeli enemy, its sponsors, the defeated camp, and indeed the whole world were shocked by the steadfastness of the fighters, their bravery and strength, the diversity and effectiveness of their combat methods, and the disciplined command and control of the battle. They were also surprised by the remarkable solidarity of the people with the resistance, despite displacement and immense sacrifices. The enemy has reached a dead end: this resistance endures, remains strong, and cannot be defeated.

In this atmosphere of sacrifice, dignity, and the enemy’s defeat, the authorities hastened toward a humiliating and needless free concession, whose only justification was submission without compensation—not even by the worth of a goat’s sneeze. We categorically reject direct negotiations. Those in power should know that their conduct will benefit neither Lebanon nor themselves. What the Israeli-American enemy wants from them is not in their hands, and what they seek from it will never be granted.

The gateway to a solution is securing the five points before anything else:

Stopping the aggression on land, sea, and air. Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. The release of prisoners. The return of residents to all their villages and towns. Reconstruction.

This authority cannot continue while squandering Lebanon’s rights, surrendering land, and confronting its resisting people. It must return to its people and unite them behind it, becoming not the authority of one faction but the authority of the whole people, through the consensus upon which the Taif Agreement built our current constitution. Its responsibility is to reverse its dangerous sins that place Lebanon in a vortex of instability. It must halt direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy and adopt indirect ones, and revoke its March 2 decision criminalizing the resistance and its people—more than half of the Lebanese population—so that an internal dialogue may continue, placing Lebanon’s interest above all else without submission to Israeli or foreign dictates.

The approach to a solution begins with recognizing that the problem is aggression, and that the resistance is a reaction to aggression, not its cause. The resistance’s weapons are to repel aggression; they are defensive weapons in this phase because of Israeli occupation and the exposure of aggressive aims to occupy Lebanon as part of “Greater Israel.”

We will not abandon our weapons or defense. The battlefield has proven the resistance’s readiness for a Karbala-like epic. The sacrifices are immense, but they are the price of liberation and a dignified life—borne by our great Lebanese people alongside their honorable resistance, as one of two choices: liberation and dignity, or occupation and humiliation. Far be it from us to accept humiliation.

As for the advocates of surrender, their position is astonishing.

They are not themselves targeted, yet they spend from the credit of others and accept the scraps of power and gains at the expense of the extermination of their brothers and families in the homeland and the occupation of part of Lebanon. Return to national unity so all may win and the enemies may lose.

The ceasefire would not have been achieved without the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Pakistan talks, following the legendary steadfastness of the resistance and its people in Lebanon. Thank you, Iran.

Why did the authorities become so harsh? If a ceasefire came through any mediator, we should accept it.