By Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem on Wednesday said the group would agree to a ceasefire with Israel under acceptable terms, but added that a viable deal has yet to be presented.
“If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but under the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable,” Qassem said in a pre-recorded speech, his first since he was named Hezbollah’s secretary general on Tuesday. However, he noted that Hezbollah “will not beg for a ceasefire,” as political efforts to secure a deal have yet to yield results.
Qassem replaces Hasan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel on September 27 after more than 30 years at the helm of the Iran-backed group. He takes over as Hezbollah is locked in all-out war with Israel, which has ramped up strikes on the group’s strongholds and sent in ground forces across the border last month.
Qassem acknowledged that Israel’s assassination of Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah figures dealt the group a “painful” blow. But he said Hezbollah “has started to recover by filling the gaps, appointing alternative leaders and commencing work to organize everything.”
Pledging to uphold the war strategy laid out by his predecessor, Qassem said, “My work program is a continuation of the work programme of our leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.” He vowed to press on with “the war plan that he developed,” while warning Israel: “Get out of our land to reduce your losses. If you stay, you will pay more than you have ever paid in your life.”
The new Hezbollah leader’s remarks suggest a willingness to accept a ceasefire, but only on terms that the group deems suitable. This highlights the continued tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, even as political efforts continue to broker a potential truce to end the latest round of hostilities.
