AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Lebanon, noted that the 26th anniversary of the liberation of southern Lebanon arrives as the country faces difficult circumstances resulting from the continuous aggressions of the Zionist regime.
Honoring the Memory of the Martyrs and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
Al-Khatib, while honoring the names and memories of the heroic martyrs and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the martyred Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Lebanon, stated, "On this blessed day, we reaffirm our national principles regarding the brutal Israeli aggressions and Zionist occupation of our land, because no one in Lebanon can remain a spectator in the face of this level of destruction and danger."
He added, "We call for immediate and complete coordination between the Lebanese government, represented by the army, on one hand, and the resistance, on the other, so that every decision of war and peace becomes a single sovereign decision, not that the government becomes a party implementing foreign agendas against the resistance."
Opposition to Direct Negotiation with the Zionist Regime
Al-Khatib emphasized, "We do not grant any legitimacy to direct negotiations with the Zionist regime under any title. The only thing that can be accepted is indirect negotiations with neutral international mediation, provided that their main goal is a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of the Zionist regime from occupied Lebanese territories, the return of residents, the release of prisoners, and the commencement of the reconstruction process."
He continued, "The resolution of the issue of resistance weapons will be achieved exclusively through internal dialogue, in which Lebanese, under the roof of the constitution and domestic laws, will approve a national defense strategy that protects Lebanon and preserves the right of resistance to respond to aggression."
The Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Lebanon noted that the weapons of the resistance are not a justification for aggression but a response to occupation and continuous threats. Lebanon's position must remain one of opposing aggression, normalization of relations, and American guardianship.
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