Hezbollah says Israeli project 'broken,' urges full withdrawal from Lebanon

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem says the resistance has reached a stage of "breaking the Israeli project," and the occupation has no choice but to fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory.

"We are now in a new phase in the history of Lebanon, its Resistance, its army, its people, and its future, a phase called 'Breaking the Israeli Project,'" Sheikh Qassem said in a televised address on Tuesday.

He said the project that sought to eliminate Hezbollah "militarily, politically, culturally, socially, and humanly" over the past two to three years had failed.

"This does not mean they will not try again or that there will not be other phases, but there was a major project called the military, political, cultural, social, and human elimination of Hezbollah, and erasing its existence and the existence of all those with it on the path to Greater Israel. This project has been broken."

Sheikh Qassem said the Israeli occupation has no choice but to withdraw entirely from Lebanese soil.

"We now have a ceasefire. The withdrawal must take place according to a timetable. Israel has no choice but to fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory, without retaining an inch," he said, referring to the Iran-US agreement, which stipulates an end to the war on Lebanon.

He said the ceasefire must be followed by a complete Israeli withdrawal, making way for the Lebanese Army to deploy south of the Litani River.

"Israel withdraws and the Lebanese Army deploys exclusively south of the Litani River."

The Hezbollah chief rejected any arrangement that would allow the occupation to retain any part of Lebanese land under any pretext.

"We will not accept the occupation retaining a single inch under any title."

He also put a premium on a complete end to aggression by land, sea and air, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army across the south.

'Battlefield broke the project'

Sheikh Qassem credited the resistance's steadfastness on the battlefield for the breakthrough.

"Had the Resistance not been on the battlefield, we would not have reached this result," he said.

He acknowledged the heavy price paid. "Had we not had Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and the martyred leaders, the wounded, the captives, and the great families that rallied around the Resistance, we would not have broken the project."

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He dismissed criticism from those who warned that the resistance was not stronger than Israel.

"Who said that we are stronger than the Israeli entity? We are saying that we are on the battlefield, and the Israeli entity on the battlefield will not endure, and cannot achieve its goals even if time drags on."

He warned that "had the battlefield collapsed, the Israeli entity would have taken a step in its project to eliminate Hezbollah and achieve the 'Greater Israel' project."

Sheikh Qassem also rejected any project for the disarmament of the resistance or the imposition of new political conditions.

'Iran's role decisive'

Sheikh Qassem underlined the crucial role played by Iran, saying the resistance entered the fight "based on Iran," adding strength to its existing capabilities.

He said the US-Iran memorandum of understanding explicitly included in its first clause a cessation of aggression on Lebanon.

"Iran does not negotiate on behalf of Lebanon," he said, "but rather calls for a ceasefire and then leaves the Lebanese to manage their own affairs."

The Hezbollah chief criticised the performance of the Lebanese authorities in negotiations since November 2024, saying the occupation made no concessions.

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The fifth round of Lebanon-Israel talks opened in Washington on Tuesday, with President Joseph Aoun saying the negotiations could be decisive but that Beirut would "accept nothing less than the complete end of the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon."

However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon indefinitely.

The talks take place against the backdrop of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed on June 18, which includes a commitment to ending military operations on "all fronts," including Lebanon.

Pakistan and Qatar have announced the creation of a "de-confliction cell" involving the US, Iran and Lebanon to ensure the cessation of attacks on Lebanon.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued strikes in southern Lebanon, with Lebanese media reporting two people killed by Israeli gunfire on Tuesday in the village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, the first deadly attack in days.

Hezbollah has vowed to confront any violation.

Lebanon says Israeli attacks since March have killed more than 4,100 people.

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