Hezbollah has fully adhered to the ceasefire deal with Israel, while Jerusalem has not, the group’s leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech to Lebanon.
He said Hezbollah cannot accept normalization or “the political paths through which Israel seeks to obtain what it failed to achieve through war.”
“The Lebanese state must take a stand... and Israel will not be able to achieve its goals as long as the resistance, the people, and internal unity exist,” Qassem said in the Saturday night address.
“In Lebanon, we have become a significant force of resistance in the face of the Israeli enemy. In Yemen, there has been a qualitative addition to the confrontation with the Israeli entity. In Iraq, there is a significant capability in resisting American and Israeli arrogance,” he continued, adding that all the groups would continue to stand united against Israel.
“Quds Day is a day of honor, a day to support Palestine, a day of action for its liberation,” Qassem said.“All honor and greatness to Palestine and Gaza, to Lebanon, to Iran, to Iraq, to Yemen, and to the peoples who have stood in support.”
First Israeli strike on Beirut in months
On Friday, Israel conducted its first major strike on Beirut since a ceasefire with Hezbollah was implemented in November, though the IDF has repeatedly carried out minor strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border over the past few months, citing ceasefire violations.
After the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not allow any fire on any of its communities.“Anyone who has not yet internalized the new reality in Lebanon received another example today of our determination,” he said.
The equation has changed, Netanyahu said. Israel will not allow any fire on its communities, “not even a trickle.” “We will continue to enforce the ceasefire with strength, strike anywhere in Lebanon against any threat to the State of Israel, and ensure that all our residents in the North return to their homes safely.”