Hezbollah Leader Calls on Government to Work Harder to End Israel's Attacks on Lebanon

A woman walks at the damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A woman walks at the damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Hezbollah Leader Calls on Government to Work Harder to End Israel's Attacks on Lebanon

A woman walks at the damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A woman walks at the damaged site in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon, April 28, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group called on the government Monday to work harder to end Israel’s attacks in the country a day after an Israeli airstrike hit a suburb of Beirut.

Naim Kassem said in a televised speech that Hezbollah implemented the ceasefire deal that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war in late November. But despite that, Israel is continuing with near-daily airstrikes.

Kassem’s comments came as the Israeli military said it carried out more than 50 strikes in Lebanon this month saying they came after Hezbollah violated the US-brokered ceasefire, The Associated Press reported.

On Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs after issuing a warning about an hour earlier, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire took effect in late November. The Israeli military said it struck a precision-guided missiles facility.

“The resistance complied 100% with the (ceasefire) deal and I tell state officials that it's your duty to guarantee protection,” Kassem said, adding that Lebanese officials should contact sponsors of the ceasefire so that they pressure Israel to cease its attacks.

“Put pressure on America and make it understand that Lebanon cannot rise if the aggression doesn’t stop,” Kassem said, pointing to Lebanese officials. He added that the US has interests in Lebanon and “stability achieves these interests.”

Kassem said the priority should be for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, an end to Israeli strikes in the country and the release of Lebanese held in Israel since the war that ended on Nov. 27.

Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by its Hamas allies ignited the Israel-Hamas war. The Palestinian Hamas group killed about 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251 others during the 2023 attack.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict exploded into all-out war last September when Israel carried out waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group’s senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people.

The Lebanese government said earlier this month that 190 people have been killed and 485 injured in Lebanon by Israeli strikes since the ceasefire took effect.



Israeli Escalation Raises Tensions as Lebanon Prepares to Hold Municipal Elections in South

Lebanese soldiers stand next to a vehicle hit by an Israeli strike in Abu al-Aswad, southern Lebanon. (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers stand next to a vehicle hit by an Israeli strike in Abu al-Aswad, southern Lebanon. (AFP)
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Israeli Escalation Raises Tensions as Lebanon Prepares to Hold Municipal Elections in South

Lebanese soldiers stand next to a vehicle hit by an Israeli strike in Abu al-Aswad, southern Lebanon. (AFP)
Lebanese soldiers stand next to a vehicle hit by an Israeli strike in Abu al-Aswad, southern Lebanon. (AFP)

Lebanon fears that Israeli military escalation could undermine municipal elections scheduled for Saturday in the southern provinces of Nabatieh and South Lebanon, after two days of heavy bombardment raised concerns among voters.

Israeli strikes on Monday and Tuesday targeted areas across the South, fueling anxiety among displaced residents who had planned to return to their villages to vote.

A Lebanese ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat the latest escalation, particularly Tuesday’s shelling of towns beyond the immediate border area, appears to be “an attempt by Israel to disrupt voter turnout by heightening tension and fear.”

The source added that the strikes seemed aimed at “blocking efforts to restore normal life to the South and to undermine a sense of safety through the electoral process.”

Lebanon will press ahead with municipal elections in the South this weekend despite the spike in Israeli attacks, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar said on Tuesday, reaffirming that the state would not compromise on its sovereignty.

The elections in the South will conclude the polls that have been held over the past three weeks.

“The Lebanese state has made its decision clear there will be no bargaining over our sovereignty in the South,” Hajjar told reporters after chairing a meeting to oversee preparations for the polls.

Authorities are in contact with international actors to halt Israeli violations during the electoral period, he said, amid fears that security tensions could deter voter turnout or delay ballot counting.

“Israeli aggression and violations continue, and parts of the South remains occupied,” Hajjar said.

“But from the President to the Prime Minister and the Interior Ministry, we are engaged in all necessary diplomatic efforts to stop these violations, especially during the elections, through to the vote count and announcement of results.”

Hajjar expressed hope that talks with member states of the ceasefire committee would help secure a calm election day.

“We are not waiting for guarantees,” he said, “but we are determined to hold these elections and to assert our presence and sovereignty in this dear part of our land.”