What does it mean for Naeem Qassem, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, to say that his party will not accept any justification for extending the deadline for Israel’s withdrawal in a televised speech... adding that Israel must withdraw “because the sixty days have passed... we do not accept any excuse for an extension-not for a single moment, not for a single day... We do not accept an extension of the deadline?" What does it mean for Qassem to say all of that on the same day Lebanon formally agreed that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territories would be extended to February 18?
You might tell me it’s a pre-recorded speech. Fine, but why was it broadcast as it? Is Qassem actually making the decisions in Hezbollah? Is Qassem even in Lebanon? These are pressing questions that must be asked and discussed publicly.
When Qassem says that the party was surprised by Israel’s strength, who is his target audience? Is this an attempt to justify what happened to Hezbollah’s base? Are wars a game? Hassan Nasrallah himself admitted, after the 2006 war in Lebanon, that if he had known what would happen as a result, he wouldn’t have gone to war. And now, Qassem says they were surprised by Israel’s strength!
When we- along with a few sensible voices; unfortunately there are not many- raised the alarm about this disparity and the recklessness of giving Israel excuses, we were met with accusations and insults. For example- and I repeat this without hesitation- when I wrote here, after October 7, 2023, warning that the map of Gaza could change, some people (including intellectuals, journalists, and even politicians) lashed out. Some later admitted that they had been mistaken and apologized. At the time, they dismissed my argument as trivial. Now, we see the battles in the media and political tensions following US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the people of Gaza be relocated to Egypt and Jordan.
So what is Hezbollah’s Secretary-General talking about now? Who is he talking to? What is the point of saying that the party is “fully committed to the ceasefire agreement, but Israel has violated it 1,350 times”? Can he do anything other than commit to the agreement? Could he retaliate to these violations, even if they rose by 3,000? No.
Hezbollah, along with Hamas, is responsible for bringing its people to this point. They refuse to accept reality, choosing instead to live in illusions, even as the facts on the ground change everything and continue to change everything. Every step they take leads not to broader horizons but deeper into the abyss.
Hezbollah, for example, has failed to accept that it has been defeated, that Hassan Nasrallah and most of the leadership have been eliminated, that Iran has retreated to its own borders, and that Bashar al-Assad’s criminal regime no longer exists. In Lebanon, a “new era” has begun despite Hezbollah’s opposition.
Things have changed. Clinging to slogans of resistance and defiance has become a fantasy. It now comes at a high cost everywhere in the region. Even Iran is looking for ways to de-escalate and avoid conflict. Does Hezbollah and its Secretary-General understand this reality?
Will they snap out of it and recognize that sectarianism and relying on foreign backers have become costly, destructive, and insane? Will they see that no one in the region is willing to repeat the mistakes of the past and dance to the tune of militias?
I doubt that Hezbollah or any other militias will comprehend this, but what matters is making them understand- not out of vengeance, but to salvage what we can amid the ruin.