Newly appointed Hezbollah leader vows to continue Nasrallah’s war against Israel

In his first address after his appointment as new Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem says he intends to continue the “work program” of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, including its war against Israel.

Praising Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, Qassem says the terror group will continue to support the people of Gaza and “confront the danger Israel poses for the whole region.”

Sitting in an undisclosed location against the background of Hezbollah and Lebanese flags and a portrait of Nasrallah, Qassem claims that Hezbollah’s military operations from its creation in 1982 until today have prevented the establishment of Israeli settlements on Lebanese territory (Israeli leaders have never expressed the intention to settle land in Lebanon).

Seeking to justify Hezbollah plunging Lebanon into a war, Qassem further claims that for years Israel has not respected UN Resolution 1701 for the demilitarization of southern Lebanon by violating Lebanon’s airspace 39,000 times since 2006, and that the IDF had been preparing for a war against Lebanon even before October 7, 2023 (Hezbollah, a terror group committed to Israel’s destruction, has violated Resolution 1701 since its inception, building up forces near the border intended to serve in an invasion of northern Israel. Israel has indeed conducted regular strikes in Lebanon over the years, saying it is doing so to limit Hezbollah’s efforts to arm itself as it plans attacks on the Jewish state).

Qassem further says the terror group is facing an “American, European and global war to put an end to our resistance.” He adds that Iran is supporting the Shiite group and “demands nothing in return,” and says that “any support from any Arab country for our fight is welcome.”