New Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem: “We will continue the war until victory. Israel must cease fire if it wants negotiations.”

The new Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, announced the continuation of the fight against Israel, following the course of his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah. In his televised address, he paid tribute to the murdered leader Safi al-Din and called the catastrophic situation in which the party found itself the result of aggression by Israel.

Qassem blamed Israel for all of Hezbollah's ills and violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, claiming that after September 17, the organization lost thousands of members due to pager bombings. He believes all of Hezbollah's outward actions show its strength and ability to recover from blows to accomplish its mission.

The leader of the Shiite party calls for preparations for a long war and direct confrontation with the enemy. He calls for patience and is confident that resistance will continue despite difficulties and claims of weakening. At the same time, Qassem warns of the danger of mobilizing society against Hezbollah, by patriotic forces and the American embassy in Beirut.