Hezbollah lawmaker admits resistance to Israel is weaker than before 2023

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Ezzedine acknowledged that the Iran-led Axis of Resistance no longer has the same deterrence against Israel that it had before the Gaza war began in 2023.

“Can the resistance reach today the level of deterrence that existed before 2023? I think it is difficult. Nothing is impossible, but it is not easy,” Ezzedine said in a speech in Lebanon during a memorial service for a fallen Hezbollah fighter.

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Can the resistance reach today the level of deterrence that existed before 2023? I think it is difficult. Nothing is impossible, but it is not easy.

He said the movement was facing a political crisis but insisted that Israel was not at ease. “I will be transparent and say it frankly: we are currently facing a political crisis, but this does not mean that the enemy is calm,” he said, adding that Israel, the United States and Lebanon were also facing crises. He maintained that the resistance continued confronting Israel to prevent it from expanding and advancing further.

Ezzedine highlighted the agreement reached in Islamabad by the United States and Iran in June, calling it an understanding that should not be forgotten because it had significantly reduced attacks against leaders and fighters. At the same time, he accused Israel of continuing killings, destruction, devastation, aggression and bombardment.

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I will be transparent and say it frankly: we are currently facing a political crisis, but this does not mean that the enemy is calm.

Asked what the way out was, Ezzedine replied: “We must be realistic. The way out is Iran, to be honest.” His comments came after at least four people were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Public Health Ministry. The ministry also reported injuries in another Israeli strike in the western Bekaa.

Ezzedine criticized Lebanon’s government over US-mediated talks with Israel, which Hezbollah does not participate in. He said previous meetings in Washington and Rome had failed to produce results, while the Islamabad understanding had helped bring Lebanon into negotiations and led to a ceasefire. A framework agreement reached in late June called for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from invaded territories, conditional on Hezbollah disarming. Israel has continued striking southern Lebanon, although violence has fallen significantly.

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We must be realistic. The way out is Iran, to be honest.