Hezbollah underlined on Friday Lebanon’s legitimate right to defend its land and resist the occupation, as it voiced full rejection of all forms of subordination and external dictates on the 82nd anniversary of the country’s independence.
In a statement on the occasion, the resistance group’s Media Relations called to compel the Israeli enemy to implement the ceasefire agreement and Resolution 1701.
“This year’s Independence Day comes while Lebanon is subjected to Israeli aggression and US sanctions targeting its land, people, and resources, and amidst a delicate and sensitive phase the region is going through,” the statement, carried by Al-Manar, read.
Hezbollah hailed the Lebanese people’s sacrifices for the sake of the country’s independence and liberation.
“In their struggle to gain independence and liberate their land from the occupation, the Lebanese people offered countless martyrs and profound sacrifices. Through their unity, solidarity, cohesion, steadfastness, and resistance, they were able to transform national independence into a unifying occasion under whose banner all components and factions of the Lebanese people unite, so that Lebanon remains free, sovereign, and independent, rejecting subservience to any foreign power.”
It stressed that maintaining independence, amidst storms threatening Lebanon and the region is responsibility of all Lebanese, “requires a spirit of resistance against occupation and aggression.”
“Maintaining independence also requires upholding the equations that forged independence, defeated the Zionist enemy on May 25, 2000, shattered its might in the July 2006 aggression, prevented it from achieving its objectives in the 2004 aggression, and thwarted the Takfiri terrorism project in 2017,” the statement added.
In this context, the Lebanese resistance group called for “strengthening national unity, solidarity, and cooperation among all Lebanese, regardless of their affiliations, as these are the fundamental pillars for confronting Israeli aggression, preserving Lebanon’s independence, and safeguarding its dignity.”
Hezbollah also urged rejecting “any form of subordination and external dictates, as Lebanon’s independence can only be achieved by rejecting and confronting any external project.”
“We demand upholding Lebanon’s strengths and not relinquishing them in order to preserve its national rights,” the group added.
It also called for “all possible, immediate efforts to compel the Israeli enemy to implement the ceasefire agreement and Resolution 1701.”
The group demanded efforts by the Lebanese State in order to urge the guarantor states to pressure the Israeli enemy to cease its aggression and to work by all means to end the occupation.
Lebanon’s Independence Day is celebrated annually on November 22nd to commemorate the nation’s full independence from the French Mandate in 1943. This day marks the end of French control and is a national holiday, marked by military parades, official ceremonies, and celebrations across the country.
On Friday, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun and Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal visited the Benoit Barakat Barracks in Tyre, southern Lebanon, marking the occasion.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
