Israel intensifies southern Lebanon operations after Naïm Qassem speech

Yesterday 11:47

Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon intensified after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naïm Qassem reaffirmed the group’s refusal to give up its weapons while Israeli forces remain in Lebanese territory.

Qassem made the remarks on Sunday, September 27, during a televised speech marking the second anniversary of the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The address came as Lebanon continues to face a fragile security situation and stalled efforts to implement a US-mediated framework between Beirut and Israel.

The Hezbollah leader said the group would continue what it calls the “resistance” until Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon and what he described as occupied Lebanese territory is liberated. He also called for direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to be suspended, arguing that Beirut should instead pursue indirect discussions.

Hezbollah rejects pressure to disarm

Qassem’s speech underscored the growing disagreement between Hezbollah and Lebanese state authorities over the future of the group’s armed wing.

Hezbollah has faced sustained pressure to surrender its weapons and allow the Lebanese state to exercise an exclusive monopoly over arms. Under the framework agreed by Lebanon and Israel in June with US mediation, Hezbollah is expected to disarm while Lebanese forces expand their deployment in the south and Israeli troops gradually withdraw. Implementation has remained difficult, with Israel maintaining that its forces will remain as long as it considers Hezbollah a security threat.

Qassem argued that disarmament could not be separated from an Israeli withdrawal and the return of displaced residents to southern Lebanon. He also accused the Lebanese authorities of facilitating what he called an Israeli-American project and criticized the direct negotiations taking place without Hezbollah's participation.

Israeli operations spread across southern Lebanon

Israeli strikes and other military activity have continued across several areas of southern Lebanon, including districts around Tyre, Nabatieh, Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil.

Lebanese state media reported overnight strikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Kfar Tibnit and Mayfadoun, where a house was destroyed. Artillery fire was also reported around Kfar Rumman and Wadi Zibqin, while other areas came under gunfire and ground operations.

The Israeli military said its operations were directed at Hezbollah infrastructure after the group launched an explosive drone toward Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli military, the drone caused no casualties.

The latest escalation follows weeks of repeated Israeli airstrikes, artillery fire and demolition operations in the south. Earlier in September, Israeli forces carried out numerous demolitions in villages including Mansouri, while strikes and shelling affected communities across the region.

A fragile framework under growing pressure

The renewed violence is unfolding against the backdrop of an already fragile framework intended to reduce hostilities between Lebanon and Israel.

The June agreement envisaged a gradual process involving the deployment of the Lebanese army, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and measures aimed at enabling reconstruction and economic recovery. Yet implementation has encountered repeated obstacles, while Israeli military activity has continued in parts of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities have also expressed concern that continued Israeli operations are undermining efforts to restore stability and strengthen the role of state institutions. Earlier this month, the Lebanese Army said that Israeli attacks and demolition operations were obstructing its efforts to establish stability in the south.

Nasrallah anniversary adds political weight

Qassem’s speech carried particular significance because it was delivered two years after Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah in a major airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The ceremony also commemorated Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s successor who was killed shortly afterward. Thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered around Nasrallah’s mausoleum for the event, where Qassem presented the group as still capable of continuing its confrontation with Israel despite the losses it has suffered.

The speech therefore combined a commemorative message with a political statement on Hezbollah’s future. Qassem sought to maintain the group’s position on its weapons while challenging the Lebanese government’s approach to negotiations with Israel.