Hezbollah's Qassem seeks wider regional resistance support

Shafaq News- Beirut

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Wednesday called for broader support from Iran, Yemen and Iraq for the "Islamic resistance" in Lebanon and Palestine, saying the movement needed wider regional participation.

Speaking on Martyrs' Day, Qassem said that “the resistance front must be much broader and more inclusive, involving many countries and peoples," adding that confronting attacks required everyone capable of bearing arms wherever resistance was possible in the region.

Turning to Lebanon, Qassem insisted that Hezbollah must retain its weapons and remain prepared to fight when necessary to defend Lebanese territory. He urged the Lebanese authorities to stop discussing disarmament while Israeli attacks continued, questioning whether the government was prepared to leave the country exposed to Israel in pursuit of political gains.

Qassem also criticized a joint statement by the embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia, Japan and Canada, describing it as interference in Lebanon's internal affairs and an attempt to incite opposition to Hezbollah. He demanded that the five ambassadors stop interfering and called on Lebanon's Foreign Ministry to summon them and issue an initial warning.

In their November 5 statement, the embassies expressed support for the Lebanese government's efforts to place all weapons under state control and ensure that decisions on war and peace rest exclusively with Lebanese authorities.

On the Palestinian issue, Qassem reaffirmed his support for continued resistance, saying movements in Lebanon and Palestine must remain prepared to defend their territory whenever necessary.