Beirut, Lebanon – The Deputy Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, confirmed that the party will respond to the assassination of its Chief of Staff, Haitham Ali Tabtabai,
who was killed in an Israeli raid that targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut earlier this week.
Qassem also stressed in a speech that the response is “inevitable”
and that “the party will determine the appropriate timing for it.”
He explained that Al-Tabtabai’s martyrdom was “a great loss,
but a great gain for him, as martyrdom was his goal and his path.”
On the other hand, Qasim explained that Al-Tabatabai, known by the title Abu Ali Al-Tabtabai,
He was tasked with leading the “Battle of the Mighty”
He formed a key link with the resistance organization,
and described it as “the master of the battle”.
It will not achieve Israel’s goals
Qassem added that the assassination of Al-Tabtabai “
will not achieve Israel’s goals,” saying: “Abu Ali has many brothers.”
This is in reference to the continuity of the leadership structure within the party.
Qassem pointed to the existence of “espionage activities on land, at sea and in the air”.
He considered the field open to international incursions and foreign factors,
In addition to “some Arab intelligence” which he said provides Israel with information.
Hezbollah’s right to respond
He described the assassination of Al-Tabtabai as a “blatant attack
and a heinous crime,” stressing that “Hezbollah has the right to respond.”
Regarding the ceasefire, Qassem stressed that the agreement represents
“a day of victory for the resistance, for the people, and for Lebanon.”
He stressed that the party succeeded in preventing Israel from achieving
its goals, foremost among them “ending the resistance”.
He said that the next stage requires “the state to assume
its responsibilities in expelling the occupation and deploying the Lebanese army.”
He considered the ceasefire to be a result of “the steadfastness
of the resistance and the legendary performance of the fighters.”
The Lebanese government did not prevent the enemy
Qassem attacked the Lebanese government, saying that it did not liberate, did not protect,
and did not prevent the enemy from establishing a political foothold.
Moreover, he spoke about the resistance’s ability to deter Israel from 2000 to 2023.
He further stressed that no one has a mandate to abandon Lebanon’s strength.
At the same time, he emphasized that the real mandate is to liberate and restore the land and the prisoners
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that the southern suburbs witnessed
a powerful explosion on November 23 as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted a residential building.
Consequently, this resulted in the death of Al-Tabtabai and injuries to a number of civilians.
