Hezbollah Rejects US Dictates, Calls on Lebanese Authority to Stop Offering Israeli Enemy Free Concessions

Hezbollah issued on Saturday a statement on the 43rd anniversary of May 17 Agreement to warn the Lebanese Authority against similar deviant moves through talk of a “full and comprehensive” peace agreement with the Israeli enemy. Hezbollah also completely rejected any American or non-American foreign dictates, pressures, and tutelage that seek to forcibly impose on Lebanon a path and a fate that stab at its sovereignty, independence, and dignity, and contradict the most basic national constants and principles on which all Lebanese are supposed to agree. What follows is the text of the statement issued by Hezbollah on the anniversary of the Agreement of Humiliation and Shame on May 17th: The 43rd anniversary of the Agreement of Humiliation and Shame on May 17, 1983, comes amid extremely dangerous Lebanese and regional conditions, due to the escalating American-Israeli aggression against our region and our country. This is alongside the continued Zionist enemy’s occupation of our land, and its ongoing crimes of killing, destruction, and bulldozing parts of our country, especially in the South, the complete violation of our airspace and waters, and the mobile assassinations of civilians and resistance fighters among the nation’s sons. Amid attempts to reproduce something more dangerous and deviant than the May 17 Agreement through talk of a “full and comprehensive” peace agreement between the Lebanese authority and the Zionist entity—the enemy of land, people, culture, and history—the Lebanese authority has drifted far off course, cast aside the lessons and precedents of history, absolved the enemy of its aggression and occupation, and deals with it as if it were a peaceful, recognized entity. This is in explicit, clear, and blatant violation of the Lebanese Constitution and laws, and a complete denial of Lebanon’s history, culture, the sacrifices of its sons, and the steadfastness and resilience of its people and the greatness of its Resistance. In light of these grave developments, Hezbollah affirms the following: First, Hezbollah completely rejects any American or non-American foreign dictates, pressures, and tutelage that seek to forcibly impose on Lebanon a path and a fate that stab at its sovereignty, independence, and dignity, and contradict the most basic national constants and principles on which all Lebanese are supposed to agree. What the enemy’s leaders openly declare regarding their settlement projects on Lebanese land confirms the enemy’s persistent ambitions regarding our land, waters, and natural resources, and that it seeks to strip Lebanon of its points of strength and resources. Lebanon’s acceptance of direct negotiations serves to reinforce and increase Israeli gains at the expense of Lebanon and its people. Second, we call on the Lebanese authority not to go far in deviant options with the enemy, given the grave repercussions this has for stability in Lebanon as a state and society. We also call on it to halt the series of free concessions and the scenario of squandering rights and the nation’s dignity, as it is entrusted with that by law. We demand that it prioritize the national interest first, and abandon the illusions of reaching a peace agreement with this usurping, covetous, occupying enemy. Third, the big question that Lebanese in general, and the people of the South in particular, pose to the Lebanese authority today is: What has its engagement in this downward path since the ceasefire agreement on 27-11-2024 achieved for Lebanon? What did its sinful decisions on August 5 and August 7 achieve, along with accepting the participation of a civilian in the mechanism, and then proceeding to direct negotiations? And what has Lebanon and its people gained from this path other than more pressure, concessions, aggression, and destruction? The authority pursued this path under the pretext that it was the only way to achieve a ceasefire and stop Israeli attacks, despite the constitutional violations and lack of national consensus surrounding this option. Today, after a month of pursuing this approach, what has it achieved for Lebanon? Instead of retreating from this option, it is preparing to move toward a political and security track, adding to the series of free concessions it offers to the enemy—who responds after each round of negotiations by escalating its attacks, expanding the scope of its targeting of Lebanese villages and towns, and continuing to kill Lebanese, destroy their homes, and violate Lebanese sovereignty. To the point that many Lebanese now see the extension of the ceasefire through this track as an extension of their continued killing and a cover for aggression against them and their country. Fourth, we call on the Lebanese authority to cooperate within the framework of national consensus to achieve the national constants represented by ensuring the complete withdrawal of the enemy from all Lebanese territory, a definitive and complete cessation of aggression, the liberation of our heroic prisoners, the immediate return of our people to their villages and towns with dignity and honor, and reconstruction without restrictions, conditions, or obstacles of any kind. Fifth, Hezbollah affirms that the Zionist occupation will never be stable on our land as long as this valiant Resistance exists, with its heroic mujahideen, its sacrificing and courageous people, and all the national forces and all the honorable free people of this country from all sects and regions. The dawn of liberation, freedom, and full independence will break, whether sooner or later, and Lebanon will return sovereign, free, and independent.