The head of the International Union of Resistance Scholars, Maher Hammoud, affirmed on Thursday that supporting the resistance is “a religious duty,” calling on the Ummah to stand by it “because of the sacrifices it has made and with clarity of vision in confronting the Americans and the Zionists.”

Speaking during a press conference titled “The Religious Position on the Resistance,” Sheikh Hammoud said that “the political dimension and the general vision of the resistance are not subject to any particular ideology or sect.” He stressed that “the Iranian side does not interfere in the Lebanese situation,” adding that it is the Lebanese themselves who make the decisions.

Sheikh Hammoud also condemned the direct negotiations between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy, calling them as “a major trap.”

He further criticized the statement issued by the Lebanese state on April 16, questioning: “How can the Lebanese state accept a statement saying that there is no hostility between Israel and Lebanon, but only with Hezbollah?”

The cleric added that “there are those who provide excuses for Israel and claim that Israel does not make mistakes,” stressing his rejection of “spiritual authorities serving as cover for crimes and concessions before the Zionists and the Americans.”

Sheikh Hammoud also affirmed that displaced persons “are our people, and their steadfastness is part of the resistance,” warning that there are “those working to create a rift between the resistance and its supporters, and this will not happen.”

He stressed that “coexistence is a red line,” while sending a thousand greetings to the people of southern Lebanon who “stand in the face of Zionism and carry out a great duty.”

Sheikh Hammoud further stated that Iran “has made America stand on one and a half legs,” stating that American President Donald Trump “is living in contradictions after his military defeat in the face of Iran’s steadfastness.”

He emphasized that “those who built their calculations on the assumption that the resistance has ended should reconsider,” asserting that the resistance “continues to inflict severe losses on the enemy” despite ongoing Israeli attacks.

Sheikh Maher Hammoud added that “there are those who have submitted to the logic of American dominance, but this reality will not last,” considering that regional balances of power are undergoing rapid transformations.

These remarks come amid growing internal debate in Lebanon regarding direct negotiations launched under American sponsorship between Lebanon and the Zionist enemy following the April 16 statement, while Lebanese political and popular forces continue to reject the process and view it as a concession benefiting the enemy.

Zionist enemy forces continue their attacks on Lebanon through shelling, demolition operations, explosions, and strikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region. The Zionist assault also targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, amid repeated violations by the Zionist enemy of ceasefire arrangements and declared understandings.