In his inaugural public address as Hezbollah’s new secretary-general, Naim Qassem promised “final victory” against Israel and issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the nearly hour-long pre-recorded address, Qassem – with sweat literally coursing down his face – insisted that Hezbollah is resilient and ready for further conflict. “Netanyahu is afraid of the UAV we sent toward his home. This time, he was spared,” Qassem said. “Diplomats contacted us and asked how we dared to attack Netanyahu’s home. We told them that Israel harmed our leader, Nasrallah. This time, he was spared. We don’t know when he will die, but it’s possible that an Israeli will kill him, or he may die during one of his speeches.” The new Hezbollah leader used his speech to project an image of strength, claiming Hezbollah has bounced back from the recent pagers and walkie-talkie explosions that would have “completely defeated” a conventional state army. Despite suffering “10 days of painful losses,” Qassem claimed that Hezbollah has successfully reorganized and is now achieving victories against Israel. While ludicrously claiming that Hezbollah does not seek war, Qassem stressed the terror group’s readiness to respond to any aggression, accusing Israel of aiming to occupy Lebanon and establish settlements within the country. “Hezbollah stands in the way of the Israeli regime,” he said, pledging continued support for Gaza terrorists and resistance against Israeli influence across the region. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)