Hezbollah’s Secretary-General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem delivered a politically charged speech on Martyr’s Day under the slogan “When We Are Martyred, We Triumph.” The address combined commemoration with a firm message of defiance, sovereignty, and resistance against foreign interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
Opening his remarks, Sheikh Qassem invoked the words of Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, calling them “the most beautiful way to begin this great day — with the words of Sayyed Nasrallah, the leader and inspiration of this path: ‘When we are martyred, we triumph.’” He described the martyr as one who “does not accept the path of humiliation but lives with dignity, freedom, and honor, confronting the enemies with pride and steadfast faith.”
Recalling the origins of Hezbollah’s resistance, he tied Martyr’s Day to the legacy of Ahmad Qasir, “whose act of martyrdom,” he said, “is an exemplary model and a symbol for all martyrs and those who follow the path of martyrdom.” He described the 1982 operation against the “Israeli” military governor’s headquarters as “an expression of rejecting occupation,” crediting figures such as Haj Imad Mughniyeh and Haj Abu al-Fadl Karaki for their supervision. “Ahmad Qasir taught us through his blood, nurtured us by his sacrifices, and paved the path that leads to God, to a dignified life, liberation, and honor,” he said.
Turning to recent history, Sheikh Qassem revisited the 2000–2023 period of deterrence, asserting that “the resistance and the ‘golden equation’ prevented ‘Israel’ from carrying out its expansionist project.” He recalled the “Battle of the Mighty” as a defining moment when “the legendary steadfastness of the resistance fighters halted 75,000 ‘Israeli’ soldiers who advanced only a few hundred meters.” His Eminence described the 2024 ceasefire agreement as a necessary framework “stipulating the withdrawal of the enemy from south of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese army,” which he called “our people and the sons of our homeland.”
Politically, Qassem directed much of his speech toward what he called “the ongoing interference of America and ‘Israel’ in Lebanon’s future.” He accused both of “seeking to end Lebanon’s resistance capability and to arm the army to confront the resistance instead of confronting the ‘Israeli’ enemy.” The two powers, he argued, “consider that the agreement grants Lebanon gains, and if ‘Israel’ exits Lebanon, it will recover its sovereignty; therefore, pressure is being exerted on the government.” He warned that “‘Israel’ wants to control Lebanon politically and economically and to turn Lebanon into a backyard for settlement expansion within a so-called ‘Greater Israel.’”
His Eminence sharply criticized the government for what he described as misplaced priorities. “Regrettably,” he said, “the government saw nothing in the ministerial statement except the disarmament of the resistance.” He dismissed calls for disarmament as “a pretext for building capacity and allocating funds,” stressing that “these pretexts will never end.” The real issue, he said, is the enemy’s persistent violations: “The UNIFIL spokesman says that ‘Israel’ has carried out more than 7,000 violations, while Hezbollah did not record any breach in its area of operations. Yet some come out to say the problem is in Lebanon, whereas the problem is ‘Israel.’”
Reaffirming Hezbollah’s position on the ceasefire, His eminence declared that “the agreement must be implemented; afterward, every avenue is open for internal discussion about Lebanon’s strength and sovereignty — which has nothing to do with outsiders.” He rejected talk of new deals, saying: “There is no replacement for the agreement and no absolution of the occupation through a new agreement.” Warning that “the aggression cannot continue indefinitely; everything has a limit,” He also underlined that “there is no threat to the northern settlements.”
On domestic unity, Sheikh Qassem praised the large funeral processions of martyrs and the collaboration between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, saying, “People should think about how to unite, not how to divide.” He added that “the resistance community protects the state from external pressures — make use of this community.”
H also issued a message of steadfastness and existential determination: “We face a real existential danger, and therefore we have the right to do anything to protect our existence. The blood of our martyrs and the sacrifices of our people push us forward. Threats will not deter us from defending our dignity.” Reiterating Hezbollah’s resolve, he declared: “We will not kneel; we will remain standing. You have tested us before — if you want to test us again, we will not withdraw from the field.”
Concluding his speech, Sheikh Qassem expanded his salute to the broader regional axis. “America and ‘Israel’ should despair: we are the children of Hussein and the children of this steadfast land — we will protect it for God and will not leave it to devils. Either we live with dignity or we live with dignity.” He saluted “the Palestinian people and their resistance,” calling them “heroes who taught the world what it means to stand for their rights,” and reaffirmed that “Palestine will remain our compass.” He also extended greetings “to the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Imam Khamenei, and to the martyr Qassem Soleimani,” as well as to “the leadership and the people of Yemen and Iraq,” describing them as “the vanguard of liberation and steadfast allies.”
