Nabih Berri: Lebanon Has Faced Continuous Zionist Aggression for Three Years… The Current War of Extermination Targets People, Land, and Sovereignty
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri affirmed that Lebanon has faced continuous Israeli aggression for three years, which has escalated unprecedentedly since last February, taking on the character of a war of extermination and destruction targeting people, land, and all aspects of life, particularly in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. This is a retaliatory attempt against a country that achieved a historic liberation and thwarted the occupation’s plans.
In a statement commemorating the 25th anniversary of the liberation of the land, broadcast by the Lebanese channel Al-Manar, Berri said that this national occasion comes this year under extremely dangerous circumstances, while the land, the people, the national will, and all the elements that constituted the shining chapter of liberation in Lebanon’s history are subjected to continuous Israeli aggression. Since last February, this aggression has reached the level of an open war targeting all aspects of life.
He explained that the Israeli occupation, which was forced to withdraw from Lebanese territory in 2000 due to sacrifices and resistance, never relinquished its aggressive tendencies and did not hesitate to seek revenge against Lebanon, which, in the liberation battle, offered a model of dignity, unity, and sacrifice. He emphasized that the Zionist entity knows nothing but killing, destruction, forced displacement, and targeting everything humane and sacred.
Liberation is the “Lesser Jihad,” and Protecting the Achievement is the “Greater Jihad.” Berri reiterated the warnings he issued after the liberation in May 2000, when he affirmed that liberating the land and its people constitutes the lesser jihad, while preserving this national achievement and protecting it from attempts at targeting and infiltration constitutes the greater jihad. He pointed out that the current challenges confirm the validity of this vision in light of the occupation’s continued attempts to undermine Lebanon and its sovereignty.
He added that the current Israeli aggression systematically targets the foundations of human and national life, from children, medical and ambulance personnel, and hospitals, to journalists, places of worship, and Islamic and Christian holy sites, as well as villages, towns, and cities being destroyed before the eyes of the world.
He pointed out that what is happening in Lebanon reflects the extent of Zionist brutality, which targets people before infrastructure, and seeks to undermine the resilience of Lebanese society and weaken its national will through direct aggression and policies of widespread destruction.
A Call for National Unity and Rejection of Divisive Discourse
In the same vein, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament called for drawing inspiration from the anniversary of the liberation as a platform to strengthen national unity and internal cohesion, and to emulate the lessons offered by the resistance and liberation experience in sacrifice, steadfastness, and national solidarity.
Berri stressed the necessity of abandoning hate speech and internal divisions, and ceasing to dance on the blood of the victims and reopen old wounds. He emphasized that the current stage requires readiness for sacrifice and steadfastness in defense of Lebanese land, sovereignty, and borders, without any compromise or diminution of the nation’s freedom and independence. He also called on the Lebanese to integrate their roles and shoulder their shared responsibilities to protect civil peace, reject sectarianism and confessionalism, and thwart the schemes of sedition, division, fragmentation, and resettlement that target Lebanon and its national unity.
A salute to the resistance, the army, and the bastion of Lebanese resilience.
In concluding his statement, Berri extended his heartfelt greetings and appreciation to all who contributed to the liberation and the defense of Lebanon and its sovereignty, foremost among them the resistance fighters, the military establishment, the Lebanese security forces, and all the Lebanese who embraced and supported the displaced during their ordeal.
He affirmed that the liberation achieved by the Lebanese through their unity and sacrifices represents a cornerstone for the next phase, saying: “Together we achieved liberation, and together we are capable of liberating and rebuilding Lebanon,” referring to the importance of national solidarity in confronting the Zionist aggression and its repercussions, and protecting Lebanon from projects of hegemony and fragmentation.