Sheikh Naim Qassem Says Hezbollah Will Respond to Israeli Violations in South Lebanon

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah “will never tolerate the Israeli violations in South Lebanon” and vowed that the resistance would “respond accordingly,” framing the battlefield as decisive in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed that the Resistance Party will never tolerate the Israeli violations in South Lebanon, adding that the battlefield has proven to have the final say, The field has proven that it has the final word, and successful policy is that which benefits from its outcomes as a source of strength to compel the Israeli enemy to submit, “in order to secure the rights of Lebanon and its citizens to their land and sovereignty, within a framework of national, cooperative integration that closes the doors to sedition and to foreigners exploiting our country”

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

In a statement carried by Al-Manar TV Lebanon, Qassem said “The temporary ceasefire would not have happened had it not for the jihad of the resistance fighters on the honorable southern frontlines,” and he linked the ceasefire’s existence to resistance actions and regional support.

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

He also argued that “A ceasefire means a complete halt to all hostile acts,” and insisted that “because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their fingers on the trigger.”

Qassem rejected what he described as a one-sided arrangement, saying “There is no ceasefire by the resistance alone; it must be by both sides.”

The New Arab reported that Qassem told viewers that “A ceasefire means a complete cessation of all hostilities,” and added that “Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their hands on the trigger.”

In parallel, Israel National News reported Qassem warning that “There is no ceasefire from one side only,” and said Hezbollah “will respond to violations of aggression accordingly.”

Qassem laid out what he presented as the next phase, insisting that any ceasefire must be permanent and comprehensive across Lebanon.

In Al-Manar TV Lebanon’s account, he said the “next step is the implementation of the five points,” beginning with “A permanent cessation of aggression across all of Lebanon — air, land, and sea,” followed by “Withdrawal of the Israeli enemy from the occupied territories to the borders,” “Release of prisoners,” and “Return of the people to their villages and towns up to the” (the statement cuts off in the provided text).

Anadolu Ajansı

The same Al-Manar statement also accused Washington of dictating terms, saying the US State Department publication “Ceasefire Agreement Between Lebanon and Israel — April 2026” “means nothing on the practical level” but is “an insult to our country and homeland, Lebanon.”

Qassem argued that the US “speaks on behalf of the Lebanese Government” even though “the Lebanese Government did not convene, nor did it issue approval of this statement.”

The New Arab similarly quoted Qassem calling the US role “an insult to our country and our homeland, Lebanon, that America dictates its text and speaks on behalf of the Lebanese government.”

China Daily likewise reported that Qassem “outlined five key steps,” including “a permanent halt to hostilities across Lebanon,” “a full Israeli withdrawal,” “detainee releases,” “the return of displaced residents,” and “reconstruction with Arab and international support.”

Hezbollah’s position on ceasefire violations was paired in the sources with claims of continued attacks and counterattacks along the Lebanon-Israel border.

“Hezbollah leader vows to retaliate against Israeli ceasefire violations, seeks fresh start with Lebanese govt BEIRUT - Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem said on Saturday the ceasefire with Israel must mean a complete halt to aggression, warning the group will retaliate against Israeli violations in southern Lebanon”

China Daily

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that Hezbollah announced early Thursday that it “launched rockets at northern Israel,” describing it as “the first attack it has carried out since the United States and Iran agreed to a two‑week ceasefire.”

In the same report, Hezbollah said the attack came “in response to the enemy’s violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and it specified that at “2:30 a.m. on Thursday” fighters targeted “the Manara settlement with a rocket salvo.”

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat also described Israel’s intent to impose what it called the “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon, and said Israel asked the White House to clarify a post by US President Donald Trump about Israel being “barred” from conducting airstrikes in Lebanon.

The report stated that “The ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect at midnight Thursday–Friday,” but said “the first hours of its first day looked more like a fragile truce managed under shelling.”

The Palestine Chronicle live blog asserted that “Israeli violations persist across southern Lebanon as tensions escalate,” and said Hezbollah signaled continued resistance while an Israeli soldier was killed “amid escalating confrontations along the Lebanon front.”

The ceasefire period described in the sources also drew international attention, including claims that Hezbollah attacked UNIFIL personnel in southern Lebanon.

The Jerusalem Post reported that French President Emmanuel Macron said on social media that “St.-Sgt. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban fell this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack against UNIFIL.”

Israel National News

The Jerusalem Post added that Macron stated, “Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL.”

It also quoted Macron writing that “three of his brothers-in-arms are wounded and have been evacuated,” and that “The nation bows with respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon.”

The Jerusalem Post’s account linked the claim to a broader pattern, stating that “Hezbollah has murdered other members of UNIFIL,” and it cited that in December 2022 Hezbollah killed Irish soldier Sean Rooney while he was on a UN peacekeeping mission.

It further referenced that Lebanon claimed to have sentenced someone to death for the killing, while the BBC reported that “The main defendant in the case is Mohammad Ayyad,” and it added that the BBC said “two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday in a ‘roadside explosion’ in southern Lebanon.”

Syria and other regional actors used the Lebanon crisis to argue that Israeli actions violated international law and demanded international pressure.

“Güneşli Sunday, April 19, 2026 Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem delivered a firm and defiant message, reaffirming that the Islamic Resistance will never tolerate Israeli violations in southern Lebanon and declaring that the battlefield remains the ultimate decider in the struggle against the Zionist enemy”

İlke Haber Ajansı

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Syria called on the international community to confront Israeli violations in Lebanon after “254 people were killed and 1,165 others were injured” in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, citing a statement from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

İlke Haber Ajansı

The Syrian ministry said it “denounces the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, in blatant violation of international law and humanitarian law and the principles of the United Nations Charter,” and it stressed “the 'immediate cessation of hostilities' and full compliance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.”

Anadolu also said the Lebanese Civil Defense General Directorate announced that the toll from Israeli assaults had risen to “254 martyrs and 1,165 injured,” and it reported that the Israeli army said it carried out attacks on “about 100 targets in Lebanon within 10 minutes.”

The same Anadolu report said the Israeli aggression came after “Iran and the Pakistani mediation,” and it quoted Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announcing that Lebanon is included in the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, while the Israeli army asserted that Lebanon is not included.

In a separate Hezbollah-focused account, Al Jazeera net reported that Qassem said Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to violations over “the past 15 months,” and it claimed that “more than 85 villages and towns were displaced” and that “they killed 500 people and committed more than 10,000 violations since the ceasefire was signed.”