War with Hezbollah to be Limitless, Extremely Costly: Sayyed Nasrallah

By Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaks on the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of top Resistance leaders Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Martyr Sheihk Saleh al-Arouri was a great leader in the liberation struggle, as he spent his entire life up until the night of his martyrdom fighting, resisting, and working toward the cause, even spending years in captivity for his actions, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday.

Speaking on the fourth anniversary of the martyrdom of the former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) elite Quds Force unit, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, and the commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Hezbollah leader praised and lamented both Resistance leaders.

"Hajj Qassem Soleimani was striving to achieve self-sufficiency for all Resistance movements so that they could rely on their capabilities," Sayyed Nasrallah said.

"Hajj Soleimani was a pivotal figure in linking and coordinating between the various parties to the Axis of Resistance," the Resistance leader added. This axis, he said, "agrees on a clear strategic vision, wherein both enemies and allies are defined and the goals are clear."

"In the Axis of Resistance, no party dictates anything to another party, and each individual party makes its decisions in a manner consistent with the strategic vision and the interest of its country," Sayyed Nasrallah said. "There are no slaves: There are only leaders and martyred leaders who create victories for their people."

The Axis of Resistance, he stressed, faced its most dangerous challenge over the past few months. "When we see the magnitude of the accomplishments made thus far, we will grow more satisfied and thankful for our great sacrifices."

Talking about Operation al-Aqsa Flood, launched by the Palestinian Resistance on October 7 against the Israeli occupation, the Hezbollah leader underlined that one of its most important accomplishments made throughout the operation has been "the foiling of the Israeli attempts to push the Palestinian people to the point of exhaustion and desperation so that they abandon their cause."

Another accomplishment made through Operation al-Aqsa Flood, Sayyed Nasrallah said, has been the increased popular support for the Resistance and the armed struggle among the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic worlds as a whole.

The Operation also managed to publicize the truth about the Israeli occupation, he added, wherein the image of "Israel" that Western media and some Arab regimes helped polish was shown as fake.

He also hailed October 7 as "a serious blow that severely damaged the normalization efforts," and also a blow to the Israeli occupation's declared strategic deterrence, "which they have said they are currently working on restoring."

"The United States was exposed" through Operation al-Aqsa Flood, Sayyed Nasrallah said. "It destroyed the public image the United States has been trying to promote for itself, and it showed its true, horrendous colors."

Multi-front confrontation

The leader of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon stressed that when the Lebanese Resistance opened the southern front against the Israeli occupation, "it was not deterred. Today, it has grown more valiant and ready to take action."

The Israeli settlers, due to all that is taking place on the ground, have grown to "lack trust for the [Israeli] army, security apparatuses, and politicians," and even after the Israeli occupation spent three months in Gaza, "not one individual in the Zionist entity is claiming to see victory on the horizon."

"If Israel loses its security, it cannot stay, for its connection to the land is a hoax; it is false," Sayyed Nasrallah said. 

"[Operation] al-Aqsa Flood and all that is taking place on the numerous fronts disproves the claim of a 'safe-haven' based on which the Jews migrated to occupied Palestine," he added.

"The land of Palestine from the river to the sea is solely for the Palestinian people and no one else," Sayyed Nasrallah stressed.

The Resistance will continue to fight on the southern front despite receiving threats from the United States and being sent messages through France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others.

International law impotent

The situation in Gaza, the Hezbollah leader said, "proved that the international community, international bodies, and international law are incapable of protecting anyone."

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the experience of Gaza and the people of Gaza proved that "only if you are strong do you force the world to respect you," adding: "The world does not defend the weak [...] it is only one's power, one's missiles and rockets, capabilities and bravery that defend one."

Operation al-Aqsa Flood, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined, put the Israeli occupation on the path of demise; "The Arab leaders should try to preserve their thrones."

"Lebanon swiftly entering the battle deprived the Israeli enemy of the element of surprise," the Resistance leader underlined. "The most important message sent by the Resistance on October 8 and 9 is that it is fierce and brave. It is not deterred and does not think twice about defending its nation."

Today, he added, Hezbollah is fighting on the front while taking into account Lebanon's interests, which is causing the Resistance movement to pay the price with the blood of its Resistance fighters.

However, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined, in the case of a full-scale war being declared on Lebanon, "We will have no limits, no restrictions, no rules of engagement, or boundaries."

"Whoever might think about going to war with us will regret such a decision. War with us will be tremendously costly," he stressed. "If war is declared against us, national interest will require us to fight the war until the very end," Sayyed Nasrallah concluded.

'Israel' aggressed southern suburbs of Beirut

Talking about the Israeli occupation's assassination of Hamas politburo deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the crime committed by "Israel" was an act of aggression on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

"The assassination of Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri is a flagrant, dangerous crime that will not go unanswered," he stressed.

The Deputy Chief of the Political Bureau of the Hamas movement, Saleh al-Arouri, was martyred on Tuesday evening, as a result of an attack that targeted the Southern Suburb of Beirut.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported that "an Israeli drone targeted an office of the Hamas movement in Msharafieh" while "ambulances reached the area to transport casualties."

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that an Israeli drone targeted the building with three missiles, resulting in the martyrdom of six individuals.

Finally, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah offered his condolences to all the martyrs in the fight for liberation, from Gaza to the occupied West Bank and Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, underlining that they were all martyred on the path to al-Quds.