Speaking at an event marking the anniversary of Hezbollah's slain leaders, Qassem said, "The martyr leaders followed one path, the path of Islamic resistance."
"Jihad is necessary to confront and defeat falsehood, and for our leaders, fighting the Israeli enemy was always a priority," he added.
Regarding Israel's withdrawal from disputed border areas, Qassem reiterated that "the Lebanese state must not accept partial withdrawals or conditions. There is no justification for any continued occupation, and Lebanon's stance must be firm and decisive."
Under the ceasefire that began on 27 November 2024, Lebanon's military was set to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as Israeli forces withdrew over 60 days.
However, the deadline was later extended to 18 February after Israeli forces failed to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.
Lebanon's parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berri, said on Thursday that the United States had informed him that while Israel would withdraw on 18 February, "it will remain in five locations."
Lebanon rejected this, demanding that Tel Aviv fully comply with the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, which Israel has violated by refusing to withdraw entirely.
Qassem accused US President Donald Trump of attempting to exert global dominance and reshape the region in Israel's favour, calling his stance on the Palestinian issue "extremely dangerous" and an attempt to "eliminate Palestine and its people."
He described it as "political genocide" following what he called the failure of Israel and the US to achieve their objectives in Gaza over the past year and a half.
"It has become clear that everything Israel does is under American direction and leadership," he said.
Qassem warned that US policies threaten the entire Arab and Islamic world and strongly opposed any plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.
"We reject their displacement to Jordan, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia. Arab and Islamic countries must take a firm stance against this," he said, adding that Hezbollah was ready to support any regional efforts to prevent Palestinian displacement.
Earlier this month, Trump stunned the world when he suggested that the US could redevelop the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it," Trump said in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His proposal included resettling Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan, with no plan for their return.
On Lebanon's internal affairs, Qassem said Hezbollah had worked to restore institutional order. He emphasized the role of the "national duo"—a reference to Hezbollah and its allies—in completing the country's presidential election.
"We are satisfied with the formation of the government because it is a necessary constitutional obligation," he said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced his new government on 8 February, which includes five women and several well-known figures, such as former UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame.
Salam's government faces the daunting task of implementing reforms needed to unlock funding from international donors after years of economic crisis, overseeing a fragile Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, and rebuilding the country.
Addressing reconstruction efforts, Qassem said, "What Israel destroyed, it destroyed within Lebanese territory, and it is the responsibility of the Lebanese state to lead reconstruction efforts."
He called for cooperation among all political groups and promised that Hezbollah would provide shelter and rebuilding for displaced residents.
"Homes will be restored, hopefully, better than before," he said.
Qassem also commented on recent security incidents near Beirut's airport, stating, "We oppose attacks on UNIFIL."
He criticized the Lebanese government's decision to bar an Iranian plane from landing, calling it an implementation of an Israeli directive.
"I urge the government to reconsider the ban on Iranian flights and uphold its sovereign decision-making," he added.
On Friday, the Lebanese army reported that several areas around the airport had witnessed demonstrations marked by acts of vandalism and clashes, including assaults on armed forces personnel, attacks on vehicles, and the wounding of two peacekeepers. These incidents occurred in response to the ban on two Iranian planes landing at Beirut's airport.
Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators, some hooded and carrying Hezbollah flags, attacking a man in military uniform and another in civilian clothes near a torched UNIFIL vehicle.
"More than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence, with another person detained by the security services," Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar told reporters after an emergency security meeting on Saturday.
Concluding his speech, Qassem announced that the funeral for Hezbollah's slain leaders, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, would be held on 23 February.
"Dignitaries from Arab and Islamic nations and representatives from various sects and political factions will participate in this major event," he said, urging Hezbollah supporters to attend in large numbers and maintain discipline.
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