Hezbollah, Iran support Syria ceasefire as agreed in Astana: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah

Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, delivers a televised speech from the town of Baalbek, southern Lebanon, on February 12, 2017.

Secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says the movement and Iran support Syria ceasefire as agreed through negotiations in Kazakhstan’s capital city of Astana, slamming some media reports to the contrary.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks from the southern Lebanese city of Baalbek on Sunday afternoon while addressing a ceremony held to commemorate late senior member of Hezbollah Central Council, Sheikh Hussein Obeid.

Some Arab media outlets have been falsely accusing Hezbollah of rejecting Syria ceasefire concluded in Astana talks, he said, adding, “Hezbollah and Iran support the ceasefire, the reconciliation, and the political settlement in Syria, while some Arab states are still backing the military option.”

Hezbollah leader noted that the movement is working with the Syrian government to find a way to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Foua and Kefraya and other Syrian towns.

Nasrallah rejected reports about the movement’s plan to bring about demographic changes in Syria, saying, “We categorically deny the accusations raised by those who claim that Hezbollah and the Syrian government seek demographic change across the Syrian cities.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nasrallah stated that recent military gains by Syrian forces, especially in Aleppo, have contributed to restoring security to most cities across the country.

Nasrallah said the liberation of Aleppo changed the course of developments inside Syria and paved the ground for dialogue between authorities in Damascus and representatives of armed groups, instead of “hotel opposition” figures.

Reflecting on the situation of Syrian refugees, the Hezbollah chief noted, that the Syrian refugees must be reassured in order to return to their country.

He added that all the Lebanese parties must deal with the Syrian refugees, who have taken refuge in their country over the past six years, in a humanitarian way and help them to return to their cities in their home country.

Nasrallah stated that Lebanese authorities must establish contacts with their Syrian counterparts in order to put an end to the crisis of Syrian refugees.

During the past six years that the foreign-backed crisis has been raging on in Syria, Hezbollah and the Lebanese military have been defending the country, especially along its northeastern frontier, against spillover of foreign-backed terrorist groups from neighboring Syria.

Hezbollah fighters have fended off several Daesh attacks inside Lebanon as well. They have also been providing assistance to Syrian army forces to counter the ongoing foreign-sponsored militancy.

The movement accuses Israel of supporting Takfiri terrorists operating in the Middle East.

Israel, which continues to occupy Lebanon’s Shebaa Farms and Syria’s Golan Heights, is widely reported to be offering medical help to Takfiri terrorists injured in Syria. In December 2015, British newspaper the Daily Mail said Israel had saved the lives of more than 2,000 Takfiri militants since 2013.

In his Sunday speech, Nasrallah also hailed the efforts exerted by the Lebanese army and the security forces to protect the country against any threat, calling on the political parties to contribute to the country’s peace.

He also dismissed threats posed by the new President of the United States Donald Trump, saying that Hezbollah was not worried about the advent of a “foolish” president in the White House and considered it as good news for oppressed people across the world.