Hezbollah will not surrender; fight to the last: Naim Qassem

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah has announced it will not surrender and is determined to continue fighting.

In a televised address on Monday (March 3), Deputy Leader Naim Qassem declared, “We will fight to the very edge of the border and will never surrender.”

This was Qassem’s first public statement since regional tensions escalated in Lebanon. He said Hezbollah had adhered to a ceasefire agreement reached at the end of 2024 but accused Israel of failing to honour any of its terms.

“We agreed to pursue a diplomatic solution and viewed it as a state responsibility initiative. However, as we have consistently cautioned, there are limits to our patience," he added. “Our decision is clear: we will confront them, even at the cost of extreme sacrifices, to the very border’s edge, and we will never surrender.”

The announcement comes amid heightened conflict following US and Israeli strikes on Iran last Saturday, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and claimed thousands of lives in the ensuing violence.

Two days later, Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel using rockets and drones. In retaliation, Israel conducted widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and deployed forces in southern regions, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee their homes.

Analysts warn that the ongoing cycle of attacks and reprisals could further destabilise the region and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.