In his first speech since being appointed Hezbollah leader earlier this week, Naim Qassem vowed to continue the path of his slain predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, he declared on Wednesday.
“I start with a verse from the holy Quran which guides us and points out what happened with the Jews throughout history,” said Qassem, according to a translation by Lebanon’s L’Orient Le Jour daily.
“The Almighty said they will only inflict harm on you. And if they fight you, they will not be victorious. There will be harm inflicted. Great sacrifices will be made. However, in the end, they will flee, and victory will be for the faithful,” he continued.
“What is my plan? A continuation of my predecessor’s. We will carry on with the war program as it has been outlined so far.”
Qassem also addressed the possibility of a ceasefire.
“If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say that we accept, but according to the conditions that we see as suitable,” The Associated Press reported. “We will not beg for a ceasefire as we will continue (fighting)… no matter how long it takes.”
Qassem admitted that the series of blows dealt to the group in recent weeks – including pager and walkie-talkie explosions that targeted Hezbollah terrorists in mid-September and the assassination of Nasrallah – had “hurt” the group, but he asserted that the group had been able to reorganize its ranks within eight days after Nasrallah’s death.
Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Sept. 27 after heading the Iranian-backed terrorist group for more than 30 years, remains “the symbol of the resistance and the beloved of resistance fighters,” he said.
Qassem in his address also paid tribute to the slain head of Hezbollah’s executive council, Hashem Safieddine, as well as Palestinian Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who he said had “resisted until his last breath.”
The newly-minted Lebanese terrorist leader thanked Hezbollah “for placing its trust in me for this heavy responsibility.”
During Qassem’s speech, Israeli Air Force jets began attacking targets in the Baalbek region of northern Lebanon, several hours after issuing an evacuation warning to residents of the area, according to local reports.
According to the terrorist, the region is facing an “American, European and global war aimed at ending resistance and our peoples.” He said that supporting Gaza was “essential to confront the Israeli threat to the entire region, and because the people of Gaza needed to be supported.”
He went on to say that “Iran supports us in our project and asks for nothing in return.”
Commenting on the Oct. 19 suicide drone assault on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Caesarea residence, Qassem stated: “The resistance has reached Netanyahu’s bedroom, and our diplomatic communications have confirmed that he is scared; perhaps his time hasn’t come yet, but he could very well be killed by an Israeli youth.”
Qassem, who had served as deputy secretary general of Hezbollah since 1991, was elected its new leader on Tuesday.
A recent report in the UAE-based Erem News, quoting an Iranian source, claimed that Qassem left Beirut on Oct. 5 for Damascus, before flying to Tehran. He was reportedly aboard the plane used by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for a state visit to Lebanon and Syria.
“The transfer of Naim Qassem to Tehran was by order of the higher authorities in Iran for fear of being assassinated by the Israeli entity, because he is on the list of wanted,” the Iranian source said.
The first address Qassem delivered after Nasrallah’s assassination was delivered in Beirut, while the second and third speeches were delivered from the Islamic Republic, according to the source.
Responding to Qassem’s new role, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on Tuesday, “Temporary appointment. Not for long.”
— With additional reporting from The Associated Press.