Hezbollah asserts “legitimate right” to defend Lebanon
Shafaq News – Beirut
On Thursday, Lebanese Hezbollah defended what it described as its legitimate right to resist Israeli military actions, framing its operations as a “national duty rather than a declaration of war.”
In an open letter to President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the Lebanese public, the group dismissed the idea of renewed negotiations with Israel, arguing that such talks would advance Israeli objectives.
It accused Israel of “blackmailing Lebanon through new conditions and threats to impose its political agenda, including disarming the resistance and forcing the country to recognize its regional interests.”
Calling for a unified national position to defend Lebanese sovereignty, Hezbollah stressed that any political dialogue should remain focused solely on preserving the ceasefire, not broader normalization.
The letter followed President Aoun’s October 30 directive to Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal to respond to any future Israeli incursions, after an overnight raid on the southern town of Blida killed a civilian.
Although a US-brokered ceasefire was signed by Lebanon and Israel on November 27, 2024, Israeli forces remain deployed at five positions south of the Litani River and continue airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs. Lebanese officials say the bombardments have killed around 350 people and injured more than 650.
Read more: Israel warns Lebanon: Deterrence or descent into new war?
