Naim Qassem delivers address rejecting ceasefire framework violations and internal political pressure
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Sunday delivered a televised address in which he rejected any direct negotiations with Israel, called on the Lebanese government to reverse what he described as a unilateral political decision, and reaffirmed the group's commitment to continued armed resistance, according to Al Mayadeen.
Qassem said that the November 2024 ceasefire agreement — which he described as having included provisions for a halt to hostilities, prisoner releases, and reconstruction commitments — had not been implemented, and that Israeli military operations had continued in the interim. He stated that the resistance had chosen what it considered an opportune moment to act in response.
On the question of direct engagement with Israel, the Hezbollah leader was unequivocal. Al Mayadeen reported him as saying that such a course constituted "a grave mistake" and that the Lebanese government must reverse the decision, characterising reversal as "a virtue." He argued that decisions of this magnitude require broad national consensus and lack legitimacy without it.
Qassem also addressed domestic political tensions, insisting that efforts to weaken or marginalise the resistance served Israeli rather than Lebanese interests. He called on the state to function as a protector of national unity and warned against turning national institutions against the group.
On the regional front, Qassem expressed appreciation for what he described as support from Iran, Yemen, and Iraq, while questioning the motivations of Kuwait and Bahrain, which have repeatedly accused Hezbollah of operating on their soil — allegations the group denies.
The Hezbollah chief concluded by framing the conflict in terms of strategic endurance rather than battlefield outcomes, asserting that preventing the adversary from achieving its objectives constitutes victory in itself.