“Patience has limits”: Hezbollah Leads Demonstrations in Lebanon Against US-Israel Aggression

Farrukh Abadi

In Lebanon, anti-imperialist party Hezbollah led a sit-in and occupation of a major road leading to the Beirut International Airport on Saturday (02/15), leading thousands of people in protest of Israel’s extended occupation of southern Lebanon with US support. The protest was met with teargas and bullets from the Lebanese police, which the masses withstood.

Protests had already been going on for days on the road leading to the airport after an Iranian plane was prevented from landing at the airport, leaving Lebanese citizens stranded in Iran. Deputy Head of Hezbollah’s Political Council, Mahmoud Qamati, noted that blocking the Iranian plane “highlights the imposition of American dictates on the country.” Israel had threatened to strike the Beirut airport if the Iranian plane landed.

Following the 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, which ended on January 26, Israel received US support to delay the removal of its forces from southern Lebanon until February 18. Though Israel initially stated that it would need another extension until February 28, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council recently stated that Israel will withdraw by the February 18 deadline.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem analyzed this relationship in a speech on Sunday: “today, more than ever, it is clear that everything Israel does is managed and directed by the United States, serving Washington’s expansionist goals.”

The ceasefire is an important accomplishment of the Lebanese resistance forces, which prevented Israel from entering Lebanese territory more than a few hundred meters through intense guerrilla warfare and strikes against military targets deep into Israeli territory. At the same time, Israel has used the ceasefire as a cover to continue carrying out lower-intensity genocidal actions against the Lebanese, people, with over 800 violations documented by the Lebanese government. This includes its extended occupation of southern Lebanon, from which it continues to carry out assaults on civilians.

On Friday (02/14), Israel attacked homes in southern Lebanon in yet another blatant violation of the ceasefire. The attacks continued into Monday, as Israel carried out airstrikes on Lebanese towns. On Sunday (02/16), Israel assassinated a Hamas official in Lebanon, continuing its failed policy of assassinations of resistance leaders—which have proven to not weaken the resistance forces—despite the ceasefires with both Hamas and Lebanon. UN experts reported that Israel has killed at least 57 people and destroyed 260 properties since the ceasefire went into effect in late November.

Hezbollah has repeatedly warned Israel that it will soon face consequences for its violations. During the Saturday march and sit-in, Qatami stated “We are patient, but patience has limits.”

“The resistance will continue to ensure the enemy’s withdrawal from the south and will not accept any official stance that allows the enemy to remain on our land,” he warned, hinting at the Lebanese government’s collaboration with the dictates of US imperialism.

This was reiterated by Sheikh Qassem in his speech on Sunday: “If the Israelis remain and do not implement the agreement, we will not spell out how they will be dealt with.”

Photo: Hezbollah leads a demonstration against US-Israel dictates on Lebanon after an Iranian plane was prevented from landing. Retrieved from Palestine Chronicle X.

---

The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today: