Hezbollah chief threatens Netanyahu life
Naim Qassem pledges to continue Nasrallah’s legacy, states terror organization may continue fighting for months; affirms Hezbollah will not plead for a ceasefire, but does not directly connect it to Gaza.
In his inaugural speech since being named as the new leader, Naim Qassem of Hezbollah both warned of harm to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and suggested a possible truce with Israel.
Qassem stated that the enemy’s airstrike on our towns and urban areas will not cause us to withdraw, and that the resistance remains robust and successfully sent a drone to Netanyahu’s room.
Qassem suggested that Netanyahu may have survived this time, but his time may still come when an Israeli will kill him, possibly during one of his speeches.
He informed us that Netanyahu is extremely fearful as we are focusing on him, according to our diplomatic sources.
He was talking about a drone attack that happened earlier this month at the prime minister’s personal home in Caesarea. The fortified window of Netanyahu’s bedroom was hit and cracked by the drone, resulting in some external damage. Netanyahu and his wife Sarah were away at the time.
Qassem delivered his first address as the leader of the terror group from a secret location through a pre-recorded speech. His designation was declared on Monday, following Israel’s elimination of longtime terror leader Hassan Nasrallah towards the end of last month, and subsequently killing Nasrallah’s supposed successor, Hashem Safieddine, a week later.
A change??
Even though he made aggressive threats, Qassem also mentioned that Hezbollah would be willing to reach a ceasefire with Israel on acceptable conditions, but stressed that a suitable agreement has not been proposed yet.
The comments reiterated Nasrallah’s language from the previous year, where he expressed willingness for a ceasefire, but only on conditions that Israel finds unacceptable, including the demand for the terror group to withdraw north of the Litani River.
Qassam did not directly connect a ceasefire in Lebanon to stopping the fighting in Gaza, as they had done before, which has hindered diplomatic efforts to find a resolution in Lebanon.
Qassem stated that if the Israelis choose to end their aggression, they will accept it only on conditions they deem suitable.
He also said that Hezbollah will not plead for a truce and mentioned that no political initiatives have led to a successful agreement, stating that there has been no proposed plan acceptable to both parties.
Israel is discussing the possibility of a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, with Energy Minister Eli Cohen confirming that the security cabinet has reviewed the potential agreement.
“There are conversations taking place.” Cohen informed the Kan public broadcaster that he believes more time will be needed.
At the same time, US President Joe Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk and special envoy Amos Hochstein were also on their way to the region for discussions on achieving a ceasefire on Thursday.
Qaseem
Qassem promised to emulate Nasrallah, affirming that Israel’s attacks on the group would not weaken its resolve, and urged the group’s followers to stay loyal.
He stated that his work program follows the one established by our leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and he is committed to carrying out “the war plan that he devised,” using the same religious title as his predecessor.
Qassem stated that the individuals who caused the death of our secretary-general [Nasrallah] aimed to crush our determination to resist and fight, but his death will only further strengthen our resolve to persist on this journey.
He commended the missile and drone strikes by Hezbollah on northern and central Israel, forcing millions of Israelis to seek shelter, along with the lethal assault on a military base in Binyamina that claimed the lives of four soldiers.
Qassem warned Israel to leave our territory in order to minimize their casualties. If you decide to remain, you will be charged the highest amount you have ever been charged in your entire life.
The leader of terror encouraged his followers in Lebanon, promising rewards for their sacrifices. He advised them to be patient, assuring them that the group could endure for days, weeks, and months.
He admitted that Israel’s assassination of Nasrallah and other top Hezbollah members was a significant setback, but mentioned that Hezbollah is now in the process of regrouping by appointing new leaders and restructuring their operations.
Qassem stated that the organization has substituted numerous fighters who were wounded in an explosion of Hezbollah members’ communication devices believed to be carried out by Israel.
Qassem claimed that Hezbollah’s military actions since 1982 have stopped Israeli settlements in Lebanon, while seated near Hezbollah and Lebanese flags and a portrait of Nasrallah. Israel has actually never stated any desire to establish settlements in Lebanon.
Qassem attempted to explain Hezbollah’s decision to start a war in Lebanon by arguing that Israel has not upheld UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for demilitarizing southern Lebanon after the 2006 war.
Hezbollah’s strong fortification of southern Lebanon and the reluctance of Lebanese military and peacekeepers to challenge them have been widely criticized for the unsuccessful implementation of 1701. Nonetheless, Hezbollah prefers to highlight Israeli surveillance flights over Lebanese airspace as the issue.
Qassem claimed that Israel has breached Lebanon’s airspace 39,000 times since 2006, and stated that the IDF had been getting ready for a conflict with Lebanon before Hamas’s strike last year.
Qassem also mentioned that the militant organization is up against an “American, European, and worldwide battle to halt our defiance.” He stated that Iran is backing the Shiite group and is not asking for anything in exchange. He also mentioned that any help from any Arab nation in our cause is appreciated.
Hezbollah-led forces have been conducting frequent attacks on Israeli communities and military posts along the border since October 8, 2023, stating that they are doing it to show support for Gaza during the ongoing war.
Around 60,000 people from northern towns on the Lebanon border were forced to leave due to concerns of Hezbollah launching an attack following Hamas’s October 7 assault, as well as heightened rocket attacks by the terrorist organization.
Since October 2023, 32 civilians have lost their lives in the attacks on northern Israel. Furthermore, 61 IDF soldiers and reservists have lost their lives in clashes along the border and during the subsequent ground mission initiated in southern Lebanon at the end of September.
Two soldiers have died in a drone strike from Iraq, while there have been multiple attacks from Syria with no casualties reported.
The IDF believes that over 2,000 Hezbollah members have died in the fighting. In Lebanon, there have been reports of around 100 members of different terrorist organizations, as well as hundreds of civilians, being killed.
Hezbollah has identified 516 members who were killed by Israel during the conflict, with most casualties in Lebanon and some in Syria. The numbers have not been regularly updated since Israel launched a new attack on Hezbollah in September.
Leave a Reply