The people of the Resistance in Lebanon demonstrate that they are "the true leaders of the path to victory, expelling the enemy, once again, through their heroic resistance," Hezbollah pointed out on Sunday, as the southern Lebanese people continue to return to their towns and villages usurped by the Israeli occupation forces.

In a statement addressing today's events, the Lebanese Resistance group underscored that the sight of those returning to their villages in southern Lebanon "confirms that these people, with their indomitable will and unwavering steadfastness, constitute the strongest weapon of the Resistance."

Hezbollah recalled a phrase by its former Secretary-General martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in which he asserted that the people of the Resistance are "the point of strength that no one can defeat."

The group further noted that the scene of the return of the southern Lebanese to their towns has been repeated since 2000, embodying "the highest meanings of resilience and victory" and affirming that "there is no place for an occupier on this land."

The statement continued, emphasizing that the people of the Resistance "remain loyal to their sacrifices, and no matter the might of the invaders, they are incapable of enduring the overwhelming popular tide, which, with its direction and steps, has charted a single path: the liberation of the land and the complete expulsion of the occupier."

Residents of #SouthLebanon forced their way in the early hours of the morning into their hometowns and homes on the border despite the presence of Israeli occupation forces who violated the ceasefire agreement and stayed in Lebanese territory beyond January 26.

Israeli gunfire… pic.twitter.com/OZXvd2X5iM

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 26, 2025

It is a glorious Divine day and a majestic scene of honor and dignity that the great people of the Resistance are crafting, the statement read, adding that they have proven once again that they are deeply rooted in their land and the faithful guardians of the homeland's sovereignty, unyielding in the face of any threat or aggression.

Hezbollah called on all Lebanese to "stand united with their southern compatriots to renew the spirit of national solidarity and build genuine sovereignty, defined by liberation and victory."

It further stressed that the international community, particularly the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement, must assume responsibility against the Israeli violations and crimes and compel the occupation forces to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

Elsewhere, the Lebanese group reaffirmed that the equation of the army, the people, and the Resistance that protects Lebanon from the treachery of enemies is not mere ink on paper, "but a living reality experienced by the Lebanese daily, embodied in their steadfastness and sacrifices."

Earlier, Hezbollah cited a phrase from the speech of martyr Sayyed Nasrallah at the celebration of the victory of July 2006.

"Our honorable people… Today, you astonish the world once again, proving beyond doubt that you are a proud, loyal, and courageous nation," the Military Media Unit of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon published on its Telegram channel, hailing the return of the southern Lebanese to their villages.

IOF kill 22, injure 124 in South Lebanon amid people's flux to towns

The toll from Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon on Sunday has risen to 22 martyrs, including six women, and 124 others injured, including 12 women, nine children, and a paramedic, the Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed.

The ministry said Israeli occupation forces opened fire on "citizens who were trying to return to their villages that are still under [Israeli] occupation."

The martyrs were distributed as follows: five in Aytaroun, three in Houla, four in Maarakeh, four in Kfar Kila, one in Odaisseh, one in Blida, and three in Mays al-Jabal. Among the victims was a Lebanese army soldier, Mohammad Youssef Zohour, who was killed in the town of al-Dhayrah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that the Israeli military would not meet the deadline set for its withdrawal from southern Lebanon, in a breach of the terms of the ceasefire agreement that ended the war.

Unarmed and on foot, southern Lebanese men, women, elders, and children broke the barriers erected to prevent them from reaching their land and stood strong in the face of the Israeli war machine, with its forces and vehicles, confronting them with revolutionary chants, flags of Lebanon and Resistance groups, photos of their martyrs, spearheaded by martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's former secretary-general, who was assassinated by "Israel" in late September 2024.

Israeli occupation forces responded by mobilizing their troops and vehicles to suppress the popular resistance, opening fire on the unarmed Lebanese people.

Read more: Lebanese officials salute Southern resilience, urge IOF withdrawal