By Al-Ahed News, Live Coverage

Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem delivered a wide-ranging address on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Noble Prophet Mohammad [PBUH], weaving together spiritual reflection and political commentary.

“Today we celebrate the birth of the Noble Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], a great divine blessing bestowed upon us by God, which has guided us with righteousness and deliverance,” he said addressing the attendees of the festivities held at the Imam Al-Mahdi [AS] High School in Beirut’s southern suburb.

He recalled that Imam Khomeini had sought to bridge divisions among Muslims by declaring the Week of Islamic Unity, turning disputes over the Prophet’s birth date into “a point of convergence among Muslims”.

Sheikh Qassem underscored that unity is not a mere slogan but “a political, practical, educational and moral principle in confronting challenges, with the Palestinian cause being the foremost issue that embodies this unity. We have stood by it and sacrificed for it”.

He stressed that the Islamic Republic remains committed to supporting Palestine, its people, and its resistance, as their struggle continues to represent one of the defining causes of Islamic unity.

Turning to Lebanon, the Hezbollah leader recalled that “since the establishment of modern Lebanon, ‘Israel’ has harbored expansionist and settlement ambitions in the South”.

He pointed to the Resistance’s role in thwarting these ambitions during the Battle of the Mighty, declaring that “‘Israel’ is deterred today and cannot find a foothold on our land”.

Defending Lebanon, he said, is the highest form of patriotism. “The Resistance has paid a tremendous price in defending Lebanon, offering its most precious sacrifices, including the Master of the Nation’s Martyrs, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashim Safieddine”.

Sheikh Qassem highlighted that the Resistance had not only shielded the country from enemy occupation but also played a stabilizing role internally: “The Resistance has contributed to Lebanon’s stability because it played a role in launching the current presidential term by enabling President Aoun’s election and by confronting the enemy”.

He linked the country’s collapse to corruption and the failure to implement the Taif Agreement, while warning that “the ‘Israeli’ aggression came to push the country further toward collapse”.

Sheikh Qassem reminded that the purpose of the ceasefire agreement had been to stop the aggression and enable the state to shoulder its responsibilities by removing the occupier, yet neither objective had been achieved.

Addressing the government’s recent sessions on enforcing the exclusivity of arms, His Eminence dismissed them as unconstitutional. “Stop talking about the exclusivity of weapons. Whoever imagines that they can remove the enemy’s pretexts is deluded,” he said, adding that no dialogue can take place outside the framework of a comprehensive national defense strategy.

Sheikh Qassem argued that Lebanon’s path forward rests on three pillars: “achieving sovereignty by expelling ‘Israel’ and preventing Arab-American tutelage; regularizing state work and beginning reconstruction; and combating corruption”.

The Resistance leader cautioned against internal divisions: “There is an internal issue with certain individuals who seek to hand over the weapons, and an external issue with the ongoing ‘Israeli’ aggression. Unfortunately, some inside the country are playing into ‘Israel’s’ hands. I advise them to be partners within the country and not to provide justifications for the enemy”.

He urged domestic parties to wait until the external threat is addressed before turning to debates on national security, stressing the need for unity in the face of aggression.

“We call on you to help us build our country together, to stand as united partners against our enemies, as this is a responsibility that rests on all of us,” the SG said.

Sheikh Qassem then turned his focus to the regional and international dimension, warning of US collusion with the enemy. “The United States is more than willing to hand over Lebanon in its entirety to ‘Israel’,” he said.

“Both the United States and the enemy share a single objective, which is to strip Lebanon of its strength so it becomes easy prey for ‘Israel’s’ grand expansionist project,” His Eminence went on to say.

He noted that Washington had abandoned its commitments to Lebanon, prioritizing instead the disarmament of Hezbollah. “We will not yield to pressure, no matter how intense it becomes, and we will never surrender,” he affirmed.

In this context, Sheikh Qassem described the aggression against Qatar as “a quintessentially American-‘Israeli’ aggression, carried out with an American green light”.

He affirmed Hezbollah’s support for Doha, warning that this assault is not an isolated incident but “part of the ‘Greater Israel’ project stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates”.

He asked why Arab states have not stood with the Resistance when its presence alone has delayed this project.

“As long as the ‘Greater “Israel”’ project has taken its course, and what delays it is the continuation of the resistance, why don’t the Arab states support it? At the very least, do not stab the resistance in the back, and do not stand on ‘Israel’s’ side”.

The Hezbollah Chief reaffirmed that the Palestinian cause remains central to Islamic unity. “We must stand with the people of Gaza and the West Bank against the criminal ‘Israeli’-American aggression,” he declared, praising the resilience of the Palestinians.

He pointed to the “Ramot” operation near occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”] as “a bold and courageous act, proving that the Palestinian people possess the will to live and to resist.” He added that the heavy losses suffered by “‘Israelis’ in Jabalia and the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood show that we are facing a strong people who deserve support and solidarity”

He extended a special salute to Yemen, describing it as “the great and courageous nation that bears immense burdens to express unity and to stand alongside Palestine”.

For the Hezbollah Secretary General, such solidarity embodies the essence of Islamic unity and strengthens the wider resistance front.

Concluding his address, Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed the steadfastness of the Resistance. “For us, Lebanon is our land, our future and the future of our generations. Unity that is based on a foundation of truth will lead to national unity across all our countries. We will not surrender”.