Naim Qassem Asserts that Hezbollah will Face the US-Israeli Aggression

JAKARTA - The Secretary-General of Hezbollah confirmed that his group would face "Israeli-American aggression" and would not surrender despite the "imbalance of capabilities."

"We are facing aggression. Our choice is to face it until the last sacrifice, and we will not surrender," Qassem said in his first speech since Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel on Monday and Israel began a bombing campaign in Lebanon that was broadcast on television, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (5/3).

Qassem rejected the notion that his group initiated the current round of fighting, saying: "What Israel did after the rocket attack was not a response. It was a pre-planned aggression."

"Hizbullah and its Islamic resistance respond to the Israeli-American aggression and this is a legitimate right. For us, this is an existential defense," he said.

The Middle East war spread to Lebanon on Monday, and Israel later said its forces had entered towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities said on Wednesday that the Israeli campaign had killed at least 72 people and displaced more than 83,000.

Lebanon's government on Monday announced an "immediate ban" on Hezbollah's military activities and demanded it hand over its weapons, months after pledging to gradually disarm the party, which it has repeatedly rejected.

In his speech on Wednesday, Qassem criticized the Lebanese government's new decision, saying: "Instead of the Lebanese government moving to condemn the Israeli-American aggression and find ways to deal with it, the government instead turned against the resistance to complete its mistakes and align itself with Israel's demands," he said.

"The topic of resistance and the weapons of resistance are not a subject of dispute for anyone or with anyone. It is a legitimate right. We are fighting in Lebanon to defend our people, the future of our children, and our country," Qassem said.