Hezbollah to Respond to Israeli Assassination of Senior Commander: Sheikh Qassem
“What happened was a clear aggression and a crime with specific characteristics. It is our right to respond, and we are the ones who will determine the appropriate time to respond,” Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an address to a ceremony held in Lebanon on Friday to commemorate Martyr Tabatabai.
On Sunday night, Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of Commander Tabatabai and four other resistance fighters in “a treacherous Israeli attack”.
Tabatabai was the most senior Hezbollah commander to be killed by Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire with the resistance group.
“This great martyr left an important impact at a critical and historical stage. He combined his faith with a strategic vision. Martyr Tabatabaei led the special forces project for four years and stood against the Zionist regime’s aggression in 2006 in the Khayam region,” Sheikh Qassem said.
“The Zionist enemy’s goal in assassinating this prominent figure was to destroy the morale of the forces. This martyr had an important professional performance in the recent battle with the Zionist enemy. But this goal has not been achieved and will not be achieved, and we are still moving along the same line.”
He added, “We are in an open field where the Zionist enemy easily operates in coordination with the American intelligence service and Western and Arab countries. Addressing the Zionist enemy, I say that we will continue our resistance. Martyr Tabatabai left a clear impact on the Yemeni field because he went to this country to train forces and became popular with the Yemenis. The loss of this martyr is very heavy, but with this martyrdom he achieved his happiness and main goal. We sacrificed thousands of martyrs, but at each stage we were able to rebuild our power and replace all the commanders with power.”
Read More:
Sheikh Qassem added, “We are at a new stage and the Lebanese government has a responsibility. Israel must withdraw from Lebanon, stop its aggression and release the prisoners. Israel’s aggression is aggression against all of Lebanon, not just the resistance. …Today, we are witnessing the Zionist regime’s air aggression against Lebanon. All of Lebanon is responsible for defending the country, and the government is primarily responsible for these actions.”
He also said war may or may not happen because the Israeli regime and the US are considering their options. “No matter what they do, this nation will not be defeated or surrender. The solution to the current situation is to stop Israeli aggression, and if these aggressions continue, the government must threaten the enemy with its options and capabilities. The blood of our martyrs will never be wasted. It is in the interest of the Lebanese people to be united; Only then will the foreigners submit to our will.”
4319704
