Hezbollah leader congratulates newly elected Hamas chief, vows continued support for resistance

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem has sent a congratulatory message to newly elected Hamas Political Bureau chief Khalil al-Hayya, reaffirming the Lebanese resistance group's unwavering support for Hamas, Gaza and the Palestinian cause.

In his letter, Sheikh Qassem congratulated al-Hayya on his appointment, saying his election reflected the movement's "steadfastness, determination and the will to keep the flame of resistance alive" despite Israeli and US pressure.

He condemned Israel's crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip and reaffirmed Hezbollah's commitment to the "resistance," expressing confidence that victory would ultimately prevail.

Sheikh Qassem also praised al-Hayya's leadership, saying it carries forward the legacy of martyred Hamas leaders, including founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, former political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar.

The Hezbollah chief said the Lebanese resistance movement would continue supporting Hamas in its struggle to "restore the land and rights," reaffirming a commitment he said was shared by Hezbollah's martyred Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and other fallen leaders of the movement.

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The veteran Hamas leader was elected on Monday, succeeding Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024.

Sheikh Qassem also invoked the legacy of the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, and the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was martyred in airstrikes targeting his office in central Tehran on the first day of the US-Israeli aggression in late February. He described their vision as continuing to guide the struggle for al-Quds and Palestine.

The Hezbollah leader said Israel had failed to eliminate Hamas or force it to surrender since the start of its aggression in October 2023.

"All of us have faced the war of the Israeli entity and the American tyrant with steadfastness and sacrifice. And despite three years having passed since Al-Aqsa Flood, this enemy has not been able to achieve its goals of genocide, ending the resistance, or forcing the resistance to surrender."

Sheikh Qassem said the widespread destruction and killing of civilians had only strengthened the commitment to the cause of "liberation and dignity."

"This criminality has left destruction and the killing of women, children, and life itself. But it has ignited the commitment to safeguard the trust: liberation and dignity."

Concluding his letter, Qassem expressed confidence in the eventual victory of the resistance, citing a verse from the Qur'an and praying for al-Hayya's success "until victory and liberation."

The Israeli regime shifted its focus from Gaza to the northern front by launching a ground invasion and multiple rounds of aggression against Lebanon after failing to achieve its declared objectives in the genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, including territory it has held for decades as well as additional areas seized during its aggression between October 2023 and November 2024.

According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks have killed 4,328 people and wounded 12,227 others since the latest round of aggression began on March 2.

In response, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has continued military operations against Israeli forces, maintaining resistance remains necessary as long as attacks and occupation persist.

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