Triumphant return home: Resistance prevails in both Gaza and South Lebanon

By Ghadir Khumm

As the sixty-day ceasefire agreement came to an end in Lebanon on Sunday, the Israeli occupation forces, which had initially refused to withdraw completely, prompted the Lebanese Army to station vehicles and install barbed wire in villages in the south.

In response, Lebanese civilians rose in defiance, taking matters into their own hands and successfully liberated at least 30 villages from Zionist occupation despite giving dozens of more martyrs.

They returned to their homes in convoys of vehicles, accompanied by their families and children, raising signs of victory alongside Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, as well as photos and placards of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah resistance movement leader who was martyred in southern Beirut on September 27, 2024.

Images and videos of these poignant moments flooded social media, highlighting the resilience of the Lebanese people and the steadfastness of Hezbollah resistance fighters who defended their homeland against all odds.

Among these scenes was a powerful image of a Lebanese woman Zahraa Kobeissi standing fearlessly before an Israeli military tank, a testament to the courage and bravery of the Lebanese nation, both men and women, in the face of Zionist aggression.

A similar story of resilience unfolded in Gaza. On the same day, at least 300,000 displaced Palestinians returned to their homes in the northern part of the besieged territory in a remarkable display of defiance.

Thousands of families marched together, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans of resistance in unison, their bravery unshaken despite unimaginable hardships they endured during 15 months of genocidal war that spawned the modern era's worst humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

This triumph was made possible by the steadfast fighters of Hamas and Hezbollah, whose sacrifices and endeavors followed the historic events of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, launched on October 7, 2023.

Zionist defeat: Locally and globally

Israel, an illegitimate settler-colonial entity funded and supported by some of the world’s most powerful countries—among them the United States, its strongest ally—utterly failed to defeat or undermine the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, and it admitted so.

This has been evident not only through the loud and angry voices of its own settlers but also through statements made by regime spokespersons, journalists, and even some of the most prominent regime media outlets.

For instance, David K. Rees, in an article titled “For the First Time, Israel Just Lost a War,” published on January 15, 2025, in The Times of Israel, openly acknowledged Israel's defeat to the resistance axis.

It was further confirmed by the Benjamin Netanyahu regime's request for a ceasefire agreement with the Gaza-based Hamas movement—which had been previously rejected multiple times by his war cabinet.

Ultimately, the ceasefire was only agreed to under Hamas’ terms, signifying a major shift in power dynamics. It was a clear message that the Zionist regime failed to achieve any of its military goals in Gaza despite killing over 47,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, in over 470 days.

Another striking admission came from Maj. Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, architect of the so-called ‘Generals’ Plan,’ who stated during a Channel 12 press conference that “Hamas won.” He acknowledged that Israel had failed to achieve its strategic objectives in Gaza.

Hamas not only thwarted nefarious Israeli plots but also emerged stronger, more unified, and with growing international support. This global solidarity was reflected in a widespread boycott campaign against the Israeli regime and its Western backers, which dealt significant economic blows to the already faltering Zionist entity.

After over 470 days of genocide, the Zionist occupation army not only failed to achieve the stated objectives of its genocidal war on Gaza, but many of the goals set forth by the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation were successfully accomplished by the resistance.

Zionist forces failed to occupy Gaza, dismantle Hamas, or secure the release of their captives. They were also unable to maintain a presence in northern Gaza, the Netzarim axis, or the Philadelphi axis.

Plans to permanently close the Rafah crossing, displace Gaza’s population to Sinai, deport Hamas resistance leaders, and build Jewish settlements in Gaza also fell apart.

Efforts to neutralize Hamas, implement the so-called “Deal of the Century,” and enforce the so-called Generals’ Plan collapsed, while attempts to impose Arab-Zionist control over Gaza and disrupt its social structure also proved totally unsuccessful.

The Zionist regime’s economic and social disruption campaigns, including a lasting siege and attempts to provoke resistance protests, also failed.

In contrast, the resistance achieved remarkable gains, including imposing its conditions during ceasefire negotiations and securing the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails for decades. One of them was freed after nearly 40 years of incarceration.

The Palestinian Resistance caused the destruction of more than 1,500 enemy occupation vehicles while displacing over 150,000 Zionist settlers during this period.

The Zionist entity suffered enormous economic losses, with a potential loss of $400 billion in economic activity over the next decade, threatening its long-term economic future and, in other words, pushing it to the brink of collapse and extinction.

Additionally, the resistance secured reconstruction efforts for Gaza and the daily entry of 600 aid trucks, reinforcing the region’s recovery and survival. Beyond material achievements, the resistance upheld dignity, honor, and autonomy, rejecting humiliation and external dominance.

Gaza and South Lebanon: Unbreakable bond

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had assured the people of Gaza and Lebanon that they would emerge victorious by the end of the war, a promise he fulfilled not only through the resistance's successes but also in a televised speech on September 19, 2024.

In that address, he directly challenged Netanyahu and his then-military affairs minister Yoav Gallant, stating:

“I say to Netanyahu, Gallant, the enemy army, & the enemy entity: you will not be able to return the occupying, usurping settlers to the settlements in the north. & between you & us lie the days, nights, & the battlefield...”

To this day, settlers have not returned to northern areas, while Gazans and forcibly displaced Lebanese have reclaimed their lands with dignity. This victory was marked by a coordinated strategic fight between Hamas and Hezbollah, who conducted their battles independently yet in unison, allowing both resistance movements to succeed.

The Israeli occupation forces themselves described the challenges they faced. Ariel Bernstein, a former Israeli soldier who fought in northern Gaza, revealed the intensity of urban combat in an article for The Times of Israel.

He described the experience as a mix of “ambushes, traps, hideouts, and snipers,” noting the disorienting effect of Hamas’s tunnels, which created blind spots.

“It was like I was fighting ghosts,” he said. “You don’t see them.”

Similar sentiments were expressed during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, where Israeli occupation soldiers referred to Hezbollah fighters as “ghosts,” moving too quickly and executing precise strikes.

Unlike Israeli occupation soldiers, who rely heavily on military tanks for protection, Hezbollah fighters demonstrated extraordinary skill and agility on the battlefield, solidifying the resistance's effectiveness and resilience against occupation forces.

Patience paved path to victory

The images resurfacing today in southern Lebanon closely resemble those from Liberation Day in 2000. However, the events following the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood Operation were markedly different.

This time, the Axis of Resistance suffered significant losses of leadership. Among the martyrs were Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine, Abbas Nilforushan, Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Arouri, Sayyed Fouad Ali Shokr, and many other prominent regional figures.

This war was incredibly challenging, demanding incredible defiance and patience. Palestinian and Lebanese families suffered immense losses, leaving countless children orphaned, but the resolve to fight against and defeat the enemy remains undiluted.

Ghadir Khumm is a university student in Canada pursuing a master’s degree, focusing on postcolonial studies while dedicating her time to international relations and crafting insightful political analyses on global issues.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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