Lebanon

 Lebanon

25 May 2026

Al Mayadeen English on X: "In a speech on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem emphasized that the historic victory of liberation was rooted in the solidarity between the resistance, the army, and the Lebanese people, noting that harmony between the https://t.co/c0TwLtGRmn" / X between the state and the resistance was an influential factor in achieving it. Reminding listeners that the resistance's strikes forced the occupation to withdraw from the border area in 2000, he contrastingly pointed to the indirect agreement reached by the Lebanese state on November 24, 2024. He argued that while the agreement was supposed to end the occupation and halt aggressions, Israeli attacks continued over the subsequent 15 months due to the Lebanese state's inability to enforce its implementation.

Sheikh Qassem called on the Lebanese government to reverse the decisions it has taken against the resistance and to stand alongside its people, warning that if the government remains incapable of securing sovereignty, it should leave. He firmly rejected demands for disarmament, characterizing it as the stripping away of Lebanon's defensive capability as a prelude to annihilation. He accused the Lebanese authority of effectively asking the resistance to help disarm itself so that "Israel" can enter afterward to kill and displace the population. Asserting that the resistance will defend the land, the people, and honor, he vowed that weapons will remain and that anyone confronting them alongside "Israel" would be met with resistance. 

On negotiations with the Israeli occupation, Sheikh Qassem rejected direct negotiations as a pure gain for "Israel", urging officials to abandon them, refuse American demands, and return to national understanding. 5:57AM 25 May 2026

Al Mayadeen English on X: "He said that the current situation is an existential threat, stating that all sacrifices are being made to build a future as free people rather than slaves. He also praised regional allies, noting that Iran, under the leadership of Sayyed Mojtaba, was able to humiliate both the https://t.co/mKXAiNVi5Y" / X  both the United States and "Israel". Defiantly, Sheikh Qassem promised that homes would be rebuilt, the people would return to their lands, the enemy would be driven out defeated, and a third liberation would soon be announced. 5:57AM 25 May 2026