In a televised address on Wednesday, Naim Qassem, the newly appointed leader of Hezbollah, suggested that a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict was still possible, but only if Israel halts its military operations in Lebanon.
This speech marked Qassem’s second public appearance since succeeding Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack in September. Qassem stated that hostilities would only cease once Israel stops its “aggression” against Lebanon, after which Hezbollah would be willing to engage in indirect negotiations mediated by its ally, Nabih Berri, the president of the Lebanese parliament.
“I will tell you very clearly, our conviction is that only one thing can stop this war of aggression, and that is the battlefield,” said Qassem in the pre-recorded message. He expressed skepticism that “political action” would lead to the end of the conflict, which has now lasted over a year.
“When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path for negotiations that we have clearly defined — indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state and Speaker Berri,” Qassem said. He emphasized that any potential negotiations would only move forward if they ensured “the protection of Lebanese sovereignty in full, without anything missing,” though he did not provide more specifics.
Qassem described Hezbollah’s involvement as a defensive struggle of attrition, noting that the group had been preparing for such a prolonged conflict since the conclusion of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
“We have tens of thousands of trained resistance jihadi combatants that are ready to die as martyrs,” he asserted, emphasizing their ideological commitment, training, and weaponry. He made it clear that no area of Israel would be safe from Hezbollah’s attacks.
In response to Israeli actions, Qassem promised Hezbollah would continue launching rockets and drones at Israel, warning that the recent barrage was only a preview of what was to come.
During Qassem’s address on Wednesday, rockets fired from Lebanon targeted central Israel, triggering air raid sirens in various cities around Tel Aviv and causing damage without any reported casualties. By Wednesday afternoon, more than 120 Hezbollah rockets had been fired into Israel, according to the IDF.
Qassem accused Israel of seeking to defeat Hezbollah as part of a broader plan to take control of Lebanon and reshape the Middle East.
Hezbollah initiated the war on the northern front in October of the previous year, following Hamas’s large-scale attack on October 7. Since then, the group has consistently launched rockets, drones, and missiles at Israel. In September 2024, Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah, targeting its senior leadership and initiating a ground offensive aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s extensive infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Qassem addressed the heavy toll the war has taken on Lebanese civilians, framing it as a necessary cost for ultimate victory. He denied reports of tensions between displaced Shiites and other groups within Lebanon, despite evidence indicating otherwise.
Lebanese health authorities report that over 3,000 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the last six weeks. While this figure includes both civilians and combatants, it is believed to be an underestimation. Hezbollah ceased regularly updating the number of its operatives killed following the surge in cross-border violence in September 2024. The IDF estimates that around 3,000 Hezbollah fighters have died in the past year.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, attacks on northern Israel have led to 40 civilian deaths. Additionally, 61 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes and the ongoing ground operation in southern Lebanon, which began in late September.
Qassem also commented on the capture of a prominent Hezbollah naval figure by Israeli commandos in northern Lebanon, calling it a “humiliation” for Lebanon. He demanded that the Lebanese Armed Forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), particularly the German contingent responsible for naval patrols, offer explanations.
Although Qassem recorded his address prior to the conclusion of the US election, he stated that the outcome of the vote would have no bearing on the war or any potential ceasefire discussions.
“We don’t base our expectations for a halt of the aggression on political developments… Whether [Kamala] Harris wins or [Donald] Trump wins, it means nothing to us,” Qassem said. “What will stop this… war is the battlefield.”
{Matzav.com Israel}