BEIRUT, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Sunday that attempts to disarm the group would lead to its "extermination" and the gradual occupation of Lebanon, vowing that Hezbollah would continue fighting against Israel.
"We are threatened in our existence and we will defend ourselves toward one of two outcomes: victory or martyrdom," Qassem said in a televised speech broadcast by local TV channel Al-Manar.
He said Israel seeks to eliminate the resistance and occupy all of Lebanon as part of the "Greater Israel" project, adding that Hezbollah would not retreat despite the destruction and casualties caused by the conflict.
The Hezbollah leader also urged the Lebanese government to pursue indirect talks instead of direct talks with Israel, warning the government against taking positions against the resistance or making what he described as concessions to the United States and Israel. ■
