By Wesam Bahrani
Throughout more than a year of relentless American-Israeli genocidal war against Gaza, Seyyed Nasrallah, without a shade of doubt, demonstrated his unwavering courage and commitment to the Palestinian cause and literally walked the talk.
At a time when Arab leaders were still bamboozled and unsure about how to react, Sayyed Nasrallah ordered his resistance fighters to join Operation Al-Aqsa Flood (Storm) on October 8.
Years ago, when the US offered security guarantees to Hezbollah in exchange for the Lebanese resistance movement severing ties with Palestinians, he resolutely responded:
"You offer us security while Palestine, its people, al-Quds, and al-Aqsa Mosque have no security. Damn you and damn your security (guarantees)."
This declaration came almost 24 years ago, soon after Hezbollah had famously forced Israeli occupation forces out of Lebanon.
Other Arab leaders, except for Syria, fell into these so-called “security assurances.”
"The Americans even informed us that you can continue backing the Palestinians and their resistance in public. That's why you hear some (Arab) rulers publicly supporting the Palestinians," the late Hezbollah leader noted almost a decade ago.
Today, following the year-long genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 43,700 Palestinians, Sayyed Nasrallah’s words resonate more powerfully than ever.
But he left behind more than wise words. He left a Lebanese resistance that has made him, and many around the world, incredibly proud with their pro-Palestine operations.
The current Zionist war on Lebanon surpasses even the 2006 war, which lasted 33 days.
Back then, Israeli occupation forces penetrated more than ten kilometers into Lebanon—though Hezbollah had planned ambushes within Lebanese territory, forcing the occupying forces to retreat quickly from towns like Bint Jbeil.
Now, nearly a month and a half into another attempted ground invasion, the occupation forces are merely shifting meters at the border, failing to secure a single Lebanese village.
On at least three occasions since last September, Hezbollah has successfully repelled Israeli occupation forces at the strategic village of al-Khiam, leaving the occupation humiliated.
This costly stalemate has compelled Israel to seek “indirect” political negotiations, although Lebanon remains uninvolved, with US envoy Hochstein absent from Beirut.
It’s a failed ground invasion by all measures, even admitted by the Israeli media outlets.
Further evidence of defeat may be seen in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unceremonious dismissal of Yoav Gallant, pointing to increased fissures and disintegration of the regime.
Unlike Netanyahu, Gallant, with his military background, recognized that a ground invasion of Lebanon was suicidal for Israeli troops—something Netanyahu could not accept, despite mounting Israeli military casualties at the border.
Gallant also noted Israel’s setbacks in Gaza, particularly in the northern part of the blockaded territory around Jabalia, which continues to resist despite intense bombardment.
Netanyahu isn’t the only one unwilling to yield. Palestinians and Lebanese also remain defiant and resolute, unbowed by American-Israeli attempts to turn them against the resistance.
The resilience in Gaza’s north is deeply moving. Despite continuous bombings, Palestinians prefer to die in their homes rather than be forced to other areas and get burned alive at a hospital shelter.
A brave Palestinian woman who declared, “I will use this white cloth as a shroud for my children, but never wave it as a flag of surrender,” speaks for all Palestinians and Lebanese.
The Palestinian resistance continues to claim Israeli military casualties in Gaza, despite heavy bombardment, a commitment that Hezbollah mirrors by maintaining its support for the besieged territory, its people, and its resistance.
Hezbollah's strength dispels any doubt about its future after Sayyed Nasrallah’s martyrdom. His leadership endures, with Hezbollah carrying forward his plans with renewed resolve.
"In any future war if you bomb Lebanon's power plants, airport, sea ports. We will bomb your power plants, airports, and sea ports in occupied Palestine," Nasrallah said in one of his final speeches.
Today, Hezbollah has put this formula into action, striking targets deep inside the occupied Haifa port and Ben Gurion Airport. With each move, Hezbollah stays a step ahead.
Sayyed Nasrallah vowed unbreakable and unshakeable support for Gaza, a promise Hezbollah has kept more than 40 days since his martyrdom in an Israeli bombing.
“No settlers will return to northern occupied Palestine until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza,” he declared in his final speech. Hezbollah’s missiles have since forced even more settlers to depart.
Importantly, Hezbollah has used only a fraction of its military resources, holding reserves for various scenarios, including potential US intervention—a contingency that Sayyed Nasrallah himself prepared the Lebanese resistance to meet.
“My brother, my dear one, a source of pride for me,” declared Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in a heartfelt and beautiful tribute to Sayyed Nasrallah.
Sayyed Nasrallah ensured that Hezbollah will forever be a thorn in the side of the Israeli regime and that the struggle shall continue until the liberation of occupied territories.
Wesam Bahrani is an Iraqi journalist and commentator.
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