Qassem urges end to Israeli occupation and attacks before discussing 'national security strategy'

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed Wednesday that “the continuation of the resistance is a necessity for everyone” and that “it is Lebanon’s strength,” days after the Lebanese government approved a Lebanese Army plan for disarming Hezbollah and all armed groups in the country.

“We call for a return to priorities, which are ending the aggression, Israel’s withdrawal from the South, the release of the Lebanese captives, and the start of the reconstruction process,” Qassem said in a televised speech marking Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday.

“There can be no discussion outside the national security strategy, which is the only way to reach a solution, and let's solve the external problem before discussing it,” Qassem added, in reference to Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territory and continued airstrikes in Lebanon.

“The government's responsibility at the moment is sovereignty and this means expelling Israel from Lebanon,” he said.

Warning that “the West does not care about Lebanon but rather about Israel,” Qassem stressed that to his party “Lebanon is our land, future and our generations' future.”

“We won't bow to pressures and we will never surrender,” he added.

As for Cabinet’s September 5 session and its approval of the army plan, Qassem, said “there are factors that impeded the government's step toward blowing up the country,” giving credit to the behavior of Hezbollah and it’s ally the Amal Movement.

“America is trying to give Israel entire Lebanon and it's seeking to disarm Hezbollah either through the state or through aggression,” Qassem pointed out.

“Why does the government want to give up Lebanon's strength while it does not possess an alternative for defense?” he lamented.

He added: “How can this government claim to be preserving sovereignty while stabbing the resistance in the back?”

Qassem also wondered if the U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring committee, known as the Mechanism, exists “only to tell about the whereabouts of Hezbollah’s weapons?”

“Why doesn’t it mention the Israeli attacks?” he asked.

Citing Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar and addressing Arab countries, Qassem said: “Enough with talking about arms monopolization and those who think that they would be withdrawing alibis from the enemy are delusional, because the enemy is pressing on with its project.”

“Do not stab the resistance in the back,” he urged Arabs.

He also described Israel's attack on Qatar as a "major and extraordinary aggression" and part of the so-called "Greater Israel" scheme.