The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah party, Naim Qassem, confirmed on Friday (11/28/2025) that his movement will wait for the appropriate moment to respond to the Israeli attack that five days ago claimed the life of its military commander, Haitham Ali Tabatabai, in a bombing south of Beirut. He added, “This is a blatant assault and a heinous crime. We have the right to respond, and we will determine the appropriate moment for that.”
Qassem made the comments in a recorded speech, broadcast during a ceremony honoring Tabatabai and four other members of the group who were killed in the same bombing, which occurred on Sunday when an apartment in the neighborhood known as Dahiya was attacked by Israel. The killing of Tabatabai is the largest casualty inflicted by Hezbollah since the ceasefire between the two sides entered into force a year ago.
The movement’s Secretary-General admitted that “there are infiltrators and spies” working in Lebanon, and stated that the country is “an open arena in which the enemy coordinates with the United States, the international community and the Arab countries.” He also acknowledged that “there is no parity in power with the Israeli enemy, neither military nor intelligence,” and stressed that “it is the state that must be responsible for deterrence, through its army and its people.”
“Surrender is no alternative”
Specifically, Qassem also noted the first anniversary of the cessation of hostilities, which entered into force on November 27, 2024, ending more than a year of conflict. The leader of the Shiite formation admitted that the agreement opened a “new phase.” He warned, “If the (Israeli) aggression continues, the government must develop a plan to confront it. Rather, it must reconsider the deployment in the south.”
Within the framework of the cessation of hostilities, Hezbollah ended its armed activity in the south of the country, and thousands of soldiers from the Lebanese army were deployed in its place, while the disarmament of the movement in the rest of the territories is now suspended, as the authorities seek.
However, Qassem reiterated that his weapons constitute a deterrent against Israel, reiterated his refusal to lay down their weapons, and considered that the threats to launch new Israeli attacks on Lebanon are an attempt to put “political pressure” to force them to “surrender.” But he added, “Surrender is no alternative.”
DZC (EFE, German Press Agency)