Hezbollah chief: ‘Trump must free himself from grip of Israel’
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that US President Donald Trump must free himself from “the grip of Israel if he wants to achieve his goals.”
Sheikh Qassem made the remarks on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day on Sunday, where he also said that Trump should seize the opportunity and rid himself of the burden that is Israel.
“The US is violating Lebanon’s national sovereignty and will not be able to impose the conditions of the occupation, no matter the cost in sacrifices and confrontations,” he stated.
‘Resistance is the only option for liberation’
Sheikh Qassem started his speech by saying that the resistance has evolved from a project into a permanent pillar of Lebanon following the expulsion of the Israeli occupation.
Resistance is the only option for liberation, he stated.
He said the resistance was born out of necessity to confront threats and is the natural support for the army.
The Hezbollah chief noted that the emergence of the resistance was a natural response from a proud people who reject humiliation, occupation, and surrender to the Israeli enemy.
“The resistance began to grow in the 1960s and 1970s, with Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr emerging as a leader of resistance through the establishment of the Movement of the Deprived,” he said.
“After the 1982 Israeli invasion, the occupation remained and sought to impose the humiliating May 17 Agreement in 1983. However, genuine resistance at the popular, clerical, and national levels, in cooperation with Syria, succeeded in preventing that agreement,” Sheikh Qassem said.
He stated that from 1985 to 2000, the southern border strip remained under Israeli occupation, and resistance became the core of the confrontation.
“Since 1978, despite international resolutions, Israel had not withdrawn, making continued resistance and sacrifice essential,” he stated.
Sheikh Qassem stated that Israel withdrew earlier than expected, on the night of May 24, 2000, without informing its collaborators. May 25 was declared Resistance and Liberation Day.
“May 25, 2000, was a major victory for the resistance and the people who broke Israel and forced its unconditional withdrawal from southern Lebanon,” he said.
“Not a single retaliatory act occurred after the withdrawal. Collaborators were handed over to the state for trial. Locals were reassured, and no sectarian strife erupted in the liberated areas,” Sheikh Qassem noted.
‘Shining jewel of resistance’
He called the martyred secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, “the shining jewel who led the resistance to victory.”
“The credit for liberation goes first to God, then to Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, and to the martyr resistance leaders Sheikh Ragheb Harb, Sayyed Abbas al-Mousawi, and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he stated.
The resistance transformed Lebanon from weakness to strength and put an end to Israel’s expansionist ambitions, he noted.
He added that Resistance and Liberation Day laid the foundation for everything that followed.
“The resistance brought change in Palestine, put the enemy on the path to decline, and paved the way for all subsequent developments,” he said.
“This generous, proud people, who raise their children on dignity and stand up to the enemy, will succeed and achieve their goals,” he said.
Resistance is the choice of the people and the faithful, he said.
Lebanon’s resistance is defensive, a refusal to occupation and surrender, and it adapts—sometimes it fights and deters, sometimes it holds firm and prevents, and other times it endures while staying ready, he said.
He added that resistance is a method and a direction. Weapons are tools used when necessary and based on interest. Resistance is the act of a people’s will and choice.
The resistance is rooted in Lebanon’s very fabric—it cannot be removed because it is tied to the essence of the nation, he said.
“We and the state are fully committed to the indirect ceasefire agreement with the enemy. In return, “Israel” has committed over 3,300 violations, and we continue to face this aggression,” he said.
The United States bears responsibility as it sponsors the aggression, just as it did here, in Gaza, and elsewhere. Lebanon must be strong, confident, and free. Its voice must rise in the UN Security Council, and the Council of Ministers must also raise its voice. Everyone concerned must act accordingly,” he said.
The resistance does not stay silent in the face of oppression, nor does it surrender. It exercises patience and gives time, but action is required, he said.
“We still consider the war ongoing. All salutations go to those who are sacrificing. If Israel exploits its power, this only strengthens our resolve and defiance,” Sheikh Qassem said.
‘Yemen forced the US to stop its attacks’
“Yemen forced the US to stop its attacks, and it sacrificed for Gaza, Palestine, Arab and human dignity, and the US was unable to do anything with it,” he stated.
The US will not be able to achieve Israel’s conditions through pressure, no matter how great the sacrifices, he said.
“We have two choices: either victory or martyrdom. Threats and surrender are not an option,” he concluded.
He said that Iraq, with all its religious authorities, Popular Mobilisation Forces, and officials, stands in solidarity with Lebanon and Palestine and supports reconstruction.
Iran’s people and Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, stand with Lebanon and Gaza, he said.
“Hezbollah and the Amal Movement have proven to be a social safety valve. Their alliance has shown itself to be a strategic and unbreakable partnership,” he said.
“Israel will not be able to endure. God willing, we will rebuild our country and our villages while simultaneously working for construction and liberation,” he concluded.
