Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem renewed his criticism of Lebanon’s government on Saturday, accusing it of failing to focus on core national issues, including the restoration of sovereignty, while defending the group’s political role within the state.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the assassinations of senior commanders Sheikh Nabil Qaouq and Suheil al-Husseini, Qassem said the government must launch programs to rebuild the country.
“A state cannot rise without reconstruction. The Lebanese government should include a line in the national budget for reconstruction,” he said.
Qassem said the government had neglected “central issues, including the recovery of sovereignty,” which he described as key to restoring stability and rebuilding the state.
“Restoring sovereignty is expelling Israel from Lebanon and stopping the aggression,” he said, urging greater engagement with major powers, diplomatic pressure, and more action at the UN Security Council.
He said Hezbollah had deliberately avoided responding to Israeli violations in a way that could “give Israel a pretext for greater brutality.”
He listed five factors he said had thwarted Israel’s plans, noting that “the enemy expected to achieve some of its objectives in Lebanon after recent agreements and 60 days of fighting, but that did not happen.”
Qassem rejected suggestions that Hezbollah stood apart from Lebanon’s institutions.
“They intervened, thinking the party was weak and preoccupied with living conditions, that they could sideline it and take over the state,” he said.
“But they were surprised by our active participation in the state. We are an integral part of its structure. We play an important role and contribute to construction and development.”
He accused foreign actors of seeking to reshape the Lebanese state for political gain but said domestic balances had prevented that.
“We represent our people fully - Hezbollah and Amal represent their people entirely, holding all 27 of 27 parliamentary seats,” he said.
Qassem said Israel and its allies had also tried to stir conflict between the army and the resistance under the slogan of “exclusive state arms,” but praised the army’s restraint. “The army acted wisely.
The army and the resistance know that sedition is cursed and must never happen; everything can be resolved through understanding and cooperation,” he said.
Acknowledging that Hezbollah does not have military parity with Israel, Qassem said the group’s “faith in the homeland, readiness to sacrifice, commitment to jihad and steadfastness in the will of resistance,” along with popular backing, had created a balance that prevented Israel from achieving its objectives.
