Global South

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has stressed that Lebanon is facing a “dangerous, expansionist Israeli aggression”

Highlights from the speech of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, during the festival organized by Hezbollah, “Blood and Ink,” in glorification of the martyred scholars on the path to Al-Quds:

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on November 27, 2024. Under the deal, Tel Aviv was required to withdraw entirely from Lebanese territory—but has kept forces stationed at five sites, in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the terms of the November 2024 agreement.

Zionist-israel bombs Lebanon at will, sometimes daily.  This has not ceased since the cease-fire.  Hezbollah decided to stay with the terms of the cease-fire in order to work with the Lebanese government and attempt to build some strength into this comprador government.  They also needed time to recover from decapitation strikes on their leadership.  So Hezbollah finds itself in a position where it is part of the Lebanese government, but not in essence, and the zionist aggression has not ceased.  The continual call is for Hezbollah to disarm, and they won’t.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has violated the agreement thousands of times through repeated assaults on Lebanese territory. Lebanese authorities have warned that the regime’s violations of the ceasefire threaten national stability.

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This enemy is an expansionist enemy; it has not adhered to the agreement, and its aggressions are constant. This is not due to the presence of Hezbollah’s weapons, but rather with the aim of gradually establishing the occupation of Lebanon and drawing “Greater ‘israel'” through the gateway of Lebanon.

America has no relation to weapons, nor to defense strategy, nor to the disagreements among Lebanese.

They want to disarm, dry up financial sources, prevent services, close schools and hospitals, and they practice a policy of preventing reconstruction and donations, and demolishing homes.

Do you want to convince us that the issue is only disarmament, and then the situation in Lebanon will be resolved?  No one in the world can prevent the capability of defense, and this is a foregone conclusion. Let them try that with the defeated, not with us.

The participation of a civilian delegation in the mechanism committee violates the basic condition that stipulated a cessation of hostilities by the enemy. You have offered a free concession that will change nothing in the enemy’s stance or its aggression.

The civilian delegation went and met, and then pressure increased, and aggressions increased, and ‘israel’ wants to tell the Lebanese: We want you under fire.  This measure is an additional blunder added to the blunder of August 5.

We in Hezbollah have done our part, and we have enabled the state to impose its sovereignty within the framework of the agreement, and be certain: when we unite, they cannot do anything.

“We will defend ourselves, our people, and our country and are ready to sacrifice to the maximum and will not surrender.”

Identifying with “‘israel'” means piercing the ship… and then everyone will drown.

Global South

Chinese defense ministry responds intensively to Japan’s dangerous moves

‘Should Japan dare to cross red line, it is destined to pay heavy price’

From GT

China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Thursday responded intensively to a series of recent moves by Japan, including the deployment of missiles on Yonaguni Island, the first export of deadly weapons since Japan relaxed arms export controls, and Japan’s initiation of discussions on revising three security-related documents.

Slamming these dangerous moves, MND spokesperson Jiang Bin said at a press conference held on Thursday that should the Japanese side dare to cross the red line and invite trouble to itself, it is destined to pay a heavy price. He added that people around the world, especially those from China and other victimized countries in Asia, will never forget the catastrophe brought by Japanese fascists. The specter of Japanese militarism must never be allowed to haunt the world again.

Recent media reports said that the Japanese government has sold its domestically produced Patriot air-defense missiles to the US. It was the first export of deadly weapons since Japan relaxed controls on arms exports. In addition, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan has started discussions on revising its three security documents, including the revision of its three non-nuclear principles and increasing its defense spending.

Commenting on the latest moves, Jiang warned that the international community must be on high alert against Japan’s revisionist attempts to break away from the restraints of its pacifist constitution. The attempts include brazenly expanding its military build-up, drastically increasing its defense budget, expediting the revision of its security policies, relaxing restrictions on weapons exports, and attempting to revoke the three non-nuclear principles. It is even attempting to intervene militarily on the Taiwan question. These moves pose serious threats to regional peace and stability, Jiang said.

Regarding the Japanese side’s plan to station medium-range surface-to-air missiles at Yonaguni Island 110 kilometers east of Taiwan, and responding to Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s recent claim that the deployment “will lower the risk of Japan being attacked”, the MND spokesperson said, “Should the Japanese side dare to cross the red line and invite troubles to itself, it is destined to pay a heavy price.”

Jiang noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration. “Instead of repenting for its war crimes of invading and colonizing Taiwan, Japan is taking an extremely wrong approach by suggesting military intervention in a so-called Taiwan contingency. This dangerous approach will uproot the post-WWII international order, and lead Japan to repeat the mistakes of its militarist past.”

The PLA has strong capabilities and reliable means to defeat any aggressors, Jiang stressed.

The MND also responded to recent claims from a source in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces saying that if the aircraft carrier Fujian takes military action in the Taiwan Straits, “Japanese and US forces will have the capability to sink it.”

In response, Jiang said, “it is nothing but sheer fantasy and an overestimation of one’s own abilities.”

Japan’s recent series of dangerous moves have inflicted severe harm and posed a major threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond, a Chinese expert said.

“Alarmingly, Japan has shown no remorse whatsoever for its aggressive past in World War II; instead, it continues to stir up troubles and revive militarist practices. Furthermore, Japan harbors ambitions to develop nuclear weapons, acquire nuclear-powered equipment, and promote arms exports. The core reason for its ‘recklessness’ is its utter lack of repentance for its WWII aggression,” Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Song warned that if such a country is allowed to revive militarism, it will undoubtedly bring catastrophic consequences to the region and the world at large.

Song believes that China, as a core force for safeguarding regional and global peace, will never tolerate Japan’s dangerous acts. If Japan dares to exacerbate regional unrest and inflict harm on the region, China will resolutely step forward, and take firm and effective measures to crack down on and resolutely curb Japan’s militarist resurgence.

Tensions have boiled between Beijing and Tokyo following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s erroneous remarks on the Taiwan question. The comments have sparked widespread public debate and continuous protests within Japan, with prominent politicians and experts voicing open opposition.

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Yukiko Kaikita, president of the Kumamoto Chapter of the Women’s Association for Peace and Against Military Expansion, said Takaichi’s remarks constitute blatant interference in China’s internal affairs, and that a large number of Japanese citizens hope she will retract her statements and issue an apology.

“Most importantly, Japan’s core commitment to the world is that we would never again wage war. When World War II ended in 1945, the Japanese people not only enshrined this principle in our constitution but also internalized, from the bottom of their hearts, the conviction that ‘we must never go to war again’,” said Kaikita. “Yet, among Japanese politicians, that conviction gradually faded, as it was replaced by a complete tilt toward the US-Japan security framework. This shift fills us with deep anger.”