Resistance is Lebanon's Sole Guarantee Against Occupation: Sheikh Naim

By Al Mayadeen English

23 Jun 2026 20:16

Sheikh Naim Qassem says resistance remains Lebanon's only guarantee against occupation, calls for a full Israeli withdrawal, and urges authorities to draw on Hezbollah's strength.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reaffirmed the Resistance's commitment to the Taif Agreement and the Lebanese Constitution, asserting Hezbollah's experience as one of the country's foremost models of national engagement and coexistence.

Addressing critics who claim the mantle of patriotism, Sheikh Qassem said that some political forces in Lebanon had historically resorted to massacres and violence in attempts to eliminate their rivals, but argued that dialogue remains possible among Lebanese factions, warning that "Israel" neither respects nor spares anyone.

Sheikh Naim underscored that developments on the battlefield were the decisive factor in shaping the current reality. Without the Resistance's presence in the field and the sacrifices of its "legendary and martyrdom-seeking youth," he said, the outcome would have been fundamentally different.

He further credited the resilience of martyrs, the wounded, prisoners, and the families that rallied around the Resistance with thwarting a broader project aimed at dismantling Hezbollah. "Our right is not up for negotiation," he declared, stressing that defending Lebanese territory remains a non-negotiable principle whose costs the Resistance has consciously accepted.

According to Sheikh Qassem, resistance remains the only credible guarantee for liberating occupied land, insisting that "Israel" has failed to achieve its objectives on the battlefield and will remain incapable of doing so regardless of the passage of time.

He argued that had the battlefield collapsed, "Israel" would have advanced its project of eliminating Hezbollah and realizing the "Greater Israel" project.

US abandoned 2024 ceasefire, Israeli aggression failed

Addressing the ceasefire arrangements, Sheikh Qassem said Washington had initially presented itself as a guarantor of the November 27 agreement but subsequently disavowed that role. He explained that patience had constituted an integral part of the battlefield strategy before the Resistance transitioned to direct combat once it judged that the timing and circumstances were appropriate.

Sheikh Qassem said the battlefield trajectory ultimately yielded the current ceasefire, which, in his view, must be followed by a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

He expressed gratitude to Iran, describing it as "among the most honorable of nations in the world," and maintained that the Israeli aggression had failed to realize its goals despite the heavy sacrifices borne by the Resistance and the Lebanese people.

Resistance is always ready

Reiterating Hezbollah's conditions for a lasting resolution, the Hezbollah leader insisted that "Israel's" withdrawal from Lebanon must occur according to a clear timetable and that no portion of Lebanese territory could remain under occupation "under any pretext whatsoever."

He also called for an end to Israeli attacks by land, sea, and air, alongside the deployment of the Lebanese Army, the return of detainees, the return of displaced residents to their villages, and the launch of reconstruction efforts.

Within the framework of "mutual security," Sheikh Naim said Hezbollah would continue cooperating with the Lebanese Army to the fullest extent, stressing that "Israel" has no role in determining Lebanon's internal arrangements and must be prevented from interfering in domestic affairs.

Addressing the Lebanese authorities directly, he concluded: "Benefit from the Resistance and its strength. We are ready."