Beirut- Hezbollah’s newly appointed leader Naim Qassem on Wednesday said that he will adhere to the war strategy established by his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israeli forces last month amid escalating conflict.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, in his first televised address on Wednesday since being elected on Oct. 29, said that his practical plan is to continue the work of the late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
“We will continue to implement the war plan laid out by Sayyed Nasrallah, and we will remain on the path of war within established political directions.”
Nasrallah was assassinated b y Israel in the Lebanese capital in September.
“Hezbollah will continue to fight to disrupt the Israeli regime’s plot against the entire region “, Sheikh Naim Qassem said and warned that the regime and its backers in the US and Europe are engaged in a “major scheme” to dominate the region.
The Hezbollah secretary-general said he would agree to a ceasefire with Israel under acceptable terms.
“If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but on the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable,” said Qassem, though he added a suitable agreement has not been offered.
He also addressed criticisms that the Resistance in Gaza and Lebanon provoked the Israeli aggression. He urged the public not to forget 75 years of Israeli atrocities and the role of Resistance in ending the occupation of Lebanon.
“Some argue that Israel was provoked, but does Israel need a pretext? Have we forgotten 75 years of killing Palestinians, displacing them, seizing the land and sanctities, and committing massacres?”
“It is the Resistance that drove Israel out of our land in the past in cooperation with the army and the people. International resolutions did not expel Israel from our land. Rather, it was the Resistance,” he said.
Qassem said Benjamin Netanyahu himself stated at the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Lebanon that it was for the sake of a “New Middle East.”
“We are facing a significant project in the region; this is a war that extends beyond Lebanon and Gaza; it is a global war against Resistance.”
“This Zionist war is American, European, and global in nature, seeking to eliminate Resistance in the region.”
“All forms of brutality and extermination are being used in this aggression to advance their project, and we must confront it rather than stand by and watch.”
The Hezbollah leader said this confrontation has discredited Western values in light of their bias toward Israel’s barbarism.
The Hezbollah leader emphasized that Resistance in the region is fighting for a dignified future.
“The legendary steadfastness of the Resistance in Gaza and Lebanon is an epic of dignity; it will shape our generations’ future.”
Sheikh Qassem clarified that Hezbollah is not fighting on behalf of any party but is defending Lebanon.
“No one fights on our behalf, and we do not fight on behalf of anyone. Our project is to protect our land and defend our country.”
He also praised Iran’s support for the Lebanese Resistance. Iran has never sought anything in return for its assistance, Sheikh Qassem stated.
“Iran understands the price it pays for its support of the Resistance and has provided it—through martyr General Soleimani—with what no one else has offered,” he said.
“We fight on our land and liberate our occupied territory; no one asks us for anything, nor does anyone impose anything upon us.”
Sheikh Qassem thanked Hezbollah’s executive council for choosing him as the leader of the movement, viewing this decision as a sign of trust.
Qassem’s appointment as the new Hezbollah leader was announced on Monday.
Qassem is one of the few senior Hezbollah leaders who remains alive, after Israel killed most of the group’s leadership in a series of attacks.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant shared a photo of Naim Qassem on X, saying: “Temporary appointment. Not for long.”
For over 30 years, Qassem served as Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general and became one of the group’s most prominent figures.
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