Hezbollah ‘won’t surrender’ as war with Israel escalatespublished at 20:50 GMT
20:50 GMT
Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Beirut
Hezbollah’s
leader Naim Qassem has said the Iran-backed group “will not surrender”
as the war with Israel continues to escalate.
In his first
public speech since the regional conflict spread to Lebanon on Monday, Qassem
said Hezbollah had adhered to a ceasefire deal reached in late 2024, but that
Israel “did not abide by any of its provisions”.
“We
agreed to the diplomatic solution and considered it an opportunity for the
state to assume its responsibility, but we have repeatedly said ‘there are
limits to patience’,” he said in the televised address.
“Our
choice is to confront them to the point of the utmost sacrifice, to the
furthest limits, and we will not surrender,” he said.
Hezbollah
launched rockets and drones at Israel on Monday after US and Israeli strikes
killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayotollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel has
responded with widespread air strikes and sent troops into the south of
Lebanon, with tens of thousands of civilians forced to flee.