In the inaugural address by a Hezbollah representative following the death of the group’s leader, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem asserts that the organization is fully prepared for any possible ground incursion by Israeli forces.
“We are equipped to confront any scenario, and should the Israelis opt for a land invasion, our resistance units stand ready for ground combat,” he states.
“Despite the losses of our commanders, the assaults on civilians across Lebanon, and significant sacrifices, we remain steadfast in our stance,” Qassem declares in a speech delivered from a confidential location in Beirut. “Our support for Gaza will persist, and we will defend Lebanon.”
Qassem emphasizes that Hezbollah will follow the path laid out by the group’s late chief, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday.
He notes that the organization is actively engaged in its operations, adhering to pre-established strategies, and characterizes its current attacks on Israel as merely the “minimum.”
He further remarks that although the conflict may be prolonged, Hezbollah is assured that Israel will not fulfill its objectives.
Qassem pays tribute to Nasrallah for his leadership and widespread appeal, asserting that the Shiite group has already demonstrated its resolve to continue its fight by launching rockets at Haifa and the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim—an assault that Hezbollah had not previously claimed and which, according to Qassem, forced a million individuals into bomb shelters.
Additionally, Qassem indicates that the organization will appoint a new secretary-general at the earliest opportunity through an internal selection process, emphasizing that there are successors for every commander and official.
