כיכר השבת

Hezbollah Deputy Chief Threatens to Expel IDF from Southern Lebanon

In a fiery speech marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Muharram and the Ashura commemorations, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem issued stark warnings to Israel and the Lebanese government, saying that Hezbollah alone would decide how long Lebanon has to diplomatically end Israeli strikes and push the IDF out of southern Lebanon. “We are the ones who determine the timeframe Lebanon has to stop Israeli aggression. If necessary, we are capable of expelling the IDF ourselves,” Qassem declared, adding, “We will not allow ourselves to be humiliated. Israel is testing us, and if it wants to keep testing us—let it. Our patience has a limit.” In a separate portion of the speech, Qassem invoked religious language to frame Hezbollah’s stance: “When we win, we are victorious—and even when we fall as martyrs, we are still victorious. Victory comes from Allah, and we remain calm because He is with us.” Qassem emphasized that Israeli airstrikes could not continue indefinitely: “There is a limit to everything. Do you think we will stay silent forever?” He concluded, “Victory comes with patience.”