Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem warned that the resistance group has the right to retaliate to the assassination of senior commander Haitham Al-Tabtabai, affirming that surrender is not an option.
In a memorial service of the top commander on Friday, Sheikh Qassem said that the attack on Dahiyeh last week, “is a blatant aggression and a heinous crime,” stressing that Hezbollah has “the right to respond and will set the timing for that.”
His eminence paid tribute to commander Al-Tabtabai, also known “Sayyed Abu Ali”, praising him as a model in planning, courage and wisdom.
Talking a year after the ceasefire that ended the brutal Israeli war on November 27, 2024, Sheikh Qassem said the ceasefire was a victory for the resistance, people, and Lebanon.
“It’s a true victory, for we prevented the enemy from achieving its goals of eliminating the resistance,” Sheikh Qassem addressed the ceremony at Sayyed Shuhada Complex.
“Exceptional” Commander
Sheikh Qassem praised “Sayyed Abu Ali” for making “lasting impact during a critical period.”
“He distinguished himself with a personality that blended faith, discipline, piety, and strategic vision.”
“Sayyed Abu Ali commanded the ‘Formidable in Might’ Battle with exceptional professionalism and strategic military skill,” Sheikh Qassem said, referring to the name of the battle in which Hezbollah fighters heroically confronted the Israeli war on Lebanon between September and November 2024.
Sheikh Qassem said Sayyed Abu Ali was a true son of the battlefield in various fronts in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
“Henious Crime”
On the assassination attack which killed the commander along with four other resistance operatives, the Hezbollah S.G. stressed that the goal of the attack was not and won’t be achieved, voicing determination to uphold this path.
“The five martyrs [in Dahiyeh attack] met to prepare for their next mission, and we consider them a great source of pride,” Sheikh Qassem said, referring to commander Al-Tabtabai and the four other martyrs.
In this regard he pointed to security gaps that led to the assassination attack.
“There could be agents because we are in an open arena, and a network of Israeli collaborators was arrested some time ago. The Israeli enemy operates in this arena with great ease due to the foreign nationalities and coordination with US, Arab, and international intelligence.”
“We must address the mistakes, close the gaps and learn the lessons they reveal,” his eminence stated.
His eminence then warned: “This is a blatant aggression and a heinous crime, we have the right to respond and we’ll set the timing for that.”
Meanwhile, Sheikh Qassem welcomed the Pope’s visit to Lebanon and said that members of Hezbollah’s Political Council would present a letter to the pontiff at the Papal Embassy. His eminence hoped that the visit would contribute to spreading peace in Lebanon, liberating the homeland and stopping the Israeli aggression.
First Anniversary of Lebanon Ceasefire
Shifting into the other part of the speech, the Hezbollah leader, affirmed that the ceasefire in November 2024 is a victory for the resistance, people, and Lebanon “because we prevented the enemy from achieving its goals of eliminating the resistance.”
“The ceasefire agreement was reached because we stood firm and confronted the Israeli enemy. It was because we witnessed a legendary performance by the mujahideen (fighters) on the front lines. The agreement was reached because we had allies and brothers like the Amal Movement, generous families, and the Lebanese Army. The agreement was reached because we are strong with our project, our will, our people, our patriotism, the blood of our martyrs and wounded, the suffering of our prisoners, and our adherence to our land.”
Sheikh Qassem stressed, meanwhile, that the Israeli attacks are aggression on entire Lebanon, not just on the resistance, calling for a united stance to confront the Israeli enemy.
In this regard, he pointed to the campaign against President Jospeh Aoun over his “wise performance” and a campaign against the Lebanese Army “because the national army takes measures to maintain internal security and attempts to liberate the land.”
This item is being updated…
Source: Al-Manar English Website
