Naim Qassem: Hezbollah to Continue to Follow the Agenda Set by Nasrallah

 Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem (Reuters)
 Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem (Reuters)
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Naim Qassem: Hezbollah to Continue to Follow the Agenda Set by Nasrallah

 Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem (Reuters)
 Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem (Reuters)

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, in his first remarks since being elected on Oct. 29, said on Wednesday the armed Lebanese group would continue on its path of war with Israel.

Qassem asserted that he planned to follow the agenda set by his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese capital in September.

"We will continue our war plan within the outlined political frameworks, we will remain on the path of war," he said.

“If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say that we accept, but according to the conditions that we see as suitable,” Qassem stressed, speaking from an undisclosed location in a pre-recorded televised address.

“We will not beg for a cease fire as we will continue (fighting)... no matter how long it takes.”

The speech came as international mediators have launched a new push for negotiated cease-fires in Lebanon and Gaza.

Qassem said the series of blows dealt to the group in recent weeks - including pager and walkie-talkie explosions that targeted Hezbollah members in mid-September and the assassination of Nasrallah - had “hurt” the group, but he asserted that the group had been able to reorganize its ranks within eight days after Nasrallah’s death.

“Hezbollah’s capabilities are still available and compatible with a long war,” he said.

He pointed to the steady stream of Israeli soldiers wounded and killed in southern Lebanon since Israeli forces launched a ground invasion on Oct. 1, and to a drone launched by Hezbollah that hit the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month. Netanyahu was not harmed.

He said Hezbollah has been in coordination with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the primary Lebanese interlocutor communicating with the United States, which has put forward a series of proposals to end the conflict.

“So far no project has been put forward that Israel agrees on and is acceptable for us to negotiate it,” Qassem said.

There was no immediate Israeli response to the speech. As he was speaking, a series of Israeli airstrikes pounded the eastern city of Baalbek.

The Israeli army had earlier issued an evacuation warning for residents of Baalbek, including the ancient Roman temple complex, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The order also included surrounding areas and key routes in the Bekaa Valley. On Oct. 6, an Israeli strike hit some 700 meters (750 yards) away from the ancient citadel, which houses two of the largest Roman temples in the world.



Lebanon to Increase Army Personnel Ahead of Possible Deployment South of Litani

Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
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Lebanon to Increase Army Personnel Ahead of Possible Deployment South of Litani

Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)
Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairing the cabinet meeting (Photo: The Prime Minister’s office)

The Lebanese government has approved funding to recruit 1,500 new military personnel in the Lebanese Army as part of an initiative to increase military presence along the southern border, amid Israel’s ongoing hostilities.
The funds will be provided to the Ministry of Defense as an advance, a decision highlighted by the Minister of Information for its political and international significance, particularly in relation to implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the caretaker government emphasized that continued and escalating Israeli attacks on Lebanon amount to crimes against humanity. He stated that a primary pathway to a resolution involves halting hostilities against the country, fully implementing Resolution 1701, and electing a new president to restore institutional order, stability, and initiate reconstruction.

Mikati condemned what he described as an international failure to stop Israel’s actions against Lebanon, which include attacks on towns and villages, civilian deaths, and strikes against medical and relief personnel.
“We condemn and hold the international community responsible for the continuation of Israel’s genocidal war on Lebanon, its destruction of towns and villages, killing of civilians, assassination of army personnel, and targeting of medical teams, civil defense, relief teams, and journalists.
“Additionally, the attacks on UNIFIL, which represents international legitimacy, make targeting UNIFIL an assault on the international community and the Security Council. This destruction continues to affect hospitals, schools, and educational centers,” stated Mikati.
On the international front, Mikati highlighted the solidarity shown by world figures, referring to his discussions with leaders like Jordan’s King Abdullah, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s Prime Minister. This was further demonstrated during the Paris Conference in Support of Lebanon -late on October- he underlined, specifically thanking France for its humanitarian efforts and military support.
But he added: “But unfortunately, Israel is blatantly disregarding all international efforts to achieve a ceasefire.”
The prime minister reiterated Lebanon’s stance on safeguarding its dignity and sovereignty across air, sea, and land, pledging to confront any Israeli violations.
Following the cabinet meeting, Minister of Information Ziad Makari assured that funds to recruit 1,500 additional soldiers are available and that the government encountered no issues regarding this allocation.
Nasser Yassin, the government’s Emergency Committee coordinator, announced that the cabinet approved fuel allocations for 541 shelters in mountainous regions over 300 meters in altitude to ensure winter heating. Yassin also detailed efforts concerning the people displaced as the result of the Israeli hostilities in Lebanon.
He highlighted that there are 44,000 families in 1,138 shelters and an additional 147,000 families housed within communities.