Sheikh Naim Qassem, the new chief of Hezbollah, delivered his inaugural speech on Wednesday, October 30, a day after being appointed as the group’s secretary general.
In a televised statement, Qassem pledged to continue following the path of Sayyed Hassen Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah chief killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
“My work program is a continuation of Hassan Nasrallah’s work program in all areas.”
“We will continue to implement the war plan that Nasrallah developed with the resistance leadership, and we will remain on the path of war within the drawn-up political direction,” he added.
Qassem praised Yahya Sinwar, former leader of Hamas, as a hero for Palestine and the world, highlighting his unwavering resistance until his last breath.
He said that supporting the Gaza Strip in the war “was a duty to confront the danger of Israel to the entire region.”
In response to the accusations directed at Hezbollah regarding its relationship with Iran, he explained that the party “does not fight on behalf of anyone or for anyone’s project,” and stressed that “our project is to protect and liberate our land and support our brothers in Palestine.”
He continued, “Islamic Republic of Iran supports us, but does not want anything in exchange.”
Qassem emphasized that the conflict is not just an Israeli war on Lebanon and Gaza, but a global war aimed at eliminating the Israeli people from the region.
“If the Israelis want to stop the war, we will accept. But we will not beg for a ceasefire. Nor will we talk directly to the Israelis. So far, we have not considered or entertained any of Israel’s ceasefire’ proposals.”
Hezbollah has recovered from recent Israeli attacks, including the pager attack, and is now achieving victories against Israel, despite the potential for a complete defeat of the state army, Qassem said.
Hezbollah leader warned the Israel of severe consequences if their forces did not withdraw from Lebanese soil urgently.
“Get out of our land to reduce your losses. If you stay, you will pay more than you have ever paid in your life,” Qassem said, adding “Hezbollah is prepared for the war to continue for months.”
Qassem asserts that if Netanyahu declares absolute victory, the resistance will guarantee absolute defeat to the occupiers.
He concluded saying, “As Sayyed Nasrallah used to say, ‘era of defeat has gone, now it’s time for victories.”
Since September 23, the Israeli forces has been intensifying air attacks on Lebanon, escalating tensions with Hezbollah, which has been engaging in firefights across the Lebanese-Israeli border since October 8, 2023.
Since October 8, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have resulted in 2,792 deaths and 12,772 injuries, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
