Hezbollah has issued a formal statement affirming its right to resist external threats to Lebanon’s sovereignty, Al Mayadeen reported on Nov. 6. Hezbollah stated that while it and the Lebanese government have strictly adhered to the ceasefire, Israel continues its violations by land, air, and sea. According to the group, these ongoing hostilities, combined with political blackmail, reflect the Israeli intent to impose submission on Lebanon and extract concessions from it, in line with its interests in Lebanon and the region, as seen through its intent to forcibly annex the West Bank.
The statement criticized the “hasty governmental error” regarding the issue of the “monopoly of arms.” This refers to the government’s plan, formulated under U.S. pressure, to make the Lebanese army the only armed force in the country. The statement argues that this move was used by the enemy to demand the disarmament of the Resistance as a precondition for halting aggression—something not included in the ceasefire’s terms, and categorically rejected by Hezbollah.
The group warned that Israel does not target Hezbollah alone, but is actively working to undermine Lebanon as a whole. The aim, it stated, is to dismantle any capability of resistance, weaken the Lebanese state, and force submission to Zionist and Western interests.
It further said: “As a founding component of Lebanon, the nation we are committed to as a final homeland for all its children, we reaffirm our legitimate right to resist occupation and aggression”; it added, “Legitimate defense does not fall under framework of ‘decisions of war or peace’; rather, it is exercise of our right to resist an enemy that imposes war upon our land, refuses to cease its assaults, seeking to subdue our state.”
Al Mayadeen notes that Hezbollah’s message comes after the Israeli occupation’s aggression continued against Lebanon, despite the ceasefire of November 2024. United Nations interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed a surge in Israeli violations by land, air, and sea, including reconnaissance overflights and limited shelling near villages such as Aita al-Shaab and Hula, both of which are close to the border with Israel. These incidents reignited fears of renewed confrontation, prompting official protests from Beirut, and renewed condemnation of Tel Aviv’s disregard for Resolution 1701.
