Hezbollah chief says Israel only understands language of force

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Friday that Israel only understands the language of force, in a televised speech marking the anniversary of Hezbollah's victory in the 2006 war against Israel, according to Press TV.

Qassem noted that the 2006 war began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers with the aim of securing the release of Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails. He said the operation was carried out after all diplomatic efforts failed. "This action was necessary to fulfill the promise that we would not abandon our prisoners in jails. Therefore, how could we change the equation without confronting and putting pressure on the Israeli enemy, who only understands the language of force?" He stressed that the operation did not justify an Israeli aggression, but later it became clear that Israel, in cooperation with the US, was preparing for a major war in September 2006.

Qassem said the war ended with the defeat of the "arrogant" Israeli enemy and the US, thanks to the unity among Lebanon's army, people, and resistance. The victory secured the release of Lebanese abductees. He added that the war achieved deterrence from 2006 to 2023 and proved the importance of the resistance. "This is a model that the resistance is capable of changing the equation. This is an existing and ongoing experience." The 33-Day War ended on August 14, 2006, with the victory of the resistance.

Referring to the latest Israeli aggression that began in March, Qassem described it as an "existential war of aggression." He said the resistance fighters faced a "Karbala-style confrontation" with only two options: "Either we collapse and surrender, and the Israelis win, or we remain steadfast and defeat the Israeli project." He noted that the resistance thwarted the war's objectives and stressed that Hezbollah will continue to resist. "Whoever bets on [our] surrender is betting on a mirage and does not know the resistance well."

Qassem also criticized Lebanese authorities for signing a framework agreement with Israel, saying it surrendered Lebanese sovereignty. He said US support emboldened Israel to commit aggression and genocide. He called on the Beirut government to "turn back from this grave sin—this shameful mistake—this humiliating error." He stressed, "We do not accept surrender. We will remain steadfast and will not accept the violation of our country's sovereignty or the blood of the martyrs being wasted."

Qassem emphasized that what curbed Israeli crimes were the steadfastness of the resistance and Iran's insistence on including Lebanon in any ceasefire agreement with the US. He said the return of 300,000 citizens to the south was due to the Islamabad agreement between Iran and the US, not the framework agreement. He referred to the Pakistan-mediated Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed in June to end the war but soon collapsed due to US violations. He reaffirmed that the resistance will continue to be victorious, saying, "God willing, we will have rounds of victory, and despite all the pain, we must endure because we are standing, and our steadfastness is a stop on the road to victory."

According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,333 people, injured more than 12,236 others, and displaced over one million since March 2. Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, including territories it has held for years and others seized during the 2023-24 onslaught. The report by Mehr News added these details.