BEIRUT, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Monday that Israel has violated a ceasefire by killing civilians and expelling residents from their villages, warning that resistance will not allow Israel to achieve its goal of "Greater Israel."

"Israel has not achieved any step toward 'Greater Israel' and will not achieve it even if all the beasts of the earth unite with it," Qassem said in a statement.

He said Lebanon continues to face what he described as the ongoing Israeli and U.S.-backed aggression, accusing Israel of repeatedly targeting civilians, towns, and infrastructure despite a ceasefire agreement reached in late 2024.

According to Qassem, Israel has committed thousands of violations of the agreement, killing hundreds of civilians, injuring many others, and causing widespread destruction of homes and the displacement of residents from their villages.

He stressed that Lebanon is the party under attack and requires guarantees for its security and sovereignty, rejecting Israel's claims that its actions aim to protect settlements in northern Israel.

Qassem said resistance has adapted its tactics to the current phase, operating across different areas and employing flexible combat methods to inflict losses on Israeli forces and prevent them from consolidating control over occupied territories.

He added that there would be no "buffer zone" imposed by Israel and that resistance fighters would continue to operate as needed across Lebanon.

Calling for national unity, Qassem urged Lebanese political forces and authorities to strengthen internal cohesion, uphold sovereignty and support efforts to confront Israeli actions.

Under the 2024 ceasefire agreement with Israel -- reached after a year-long conflict between Hezbollah and Israel triggered by the Gaza war -- the Lebanese army is tasked with dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure and seizing unauthorized weapons. In late 2025, the Lebanese government approved a five-phase roadmap aimed at establishing a state monopoly on arms.

Hezbollah leaders have repeatedly said they will not fully disarm as long as Israel occupies any Lebanese land. ■