By admin 
BEIRUT – In his first speech since taking over leadership of Hezbollah, the group’s new secretary general said: Naim Qassemvowed Wednesday to continue the war against Israel, just as Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on the eastern city of Baalbek and Tire in the south.
In his speech, Qassem promised that under his leadership, Hezbollah would “continue to implement the war plan that (his assassinated predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah) developed together with the leadership of the resistance.”
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in intense fighting since the Iran-backed group began firing rockets into northern Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas in Gaza, which carried out its cross-border attack on southern Israel the day before.
However, Qassem denied that his group had provoked the war in Lebanon and said Israel has been attacking Lebanon since 1978, even before the creation of Hezbollah in 1982.
“Israel does not need a pretext (to start a war). It is better for us to resist than to wait for Israel to attack and surprise us,” he said.
The new leader, who heads Iran’s most powerful regional force, also stressed that the group is not fighting anyone’s battles.
“We don’t fight on behalf of anyone. We are fighting only to protect Lebanon, to liberate our country and in solidarity with Gaza,” he said. “(Iran) supports our project and wants nothing in return.”
“Hezbollah will emerge stronger and victorious,” Qassem promised, despite “the heavy blows” it suffered, referring to Nasrallah’s assassination and September 17. pager attack detonating thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members, an operation widely believed to have been carried out by Israel’s Mossad.
He said Hezbollah managed to recover and regroup after these “blows.”
“We can keep fighting for days, weeks and months,” he vowed.
Qassem addressed Israel directly and said: “Leave our country to reduce your losses. If you stay, you will pay the price.”
The Israeli army announced on September 30 the start of a limited ground invasion in southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure.
Commenting on current ceasefire efforts, Qassem said Hezbollah would accept a ceasefire on its own terms if Israel ceased its “aggression” against Israel. Lebanon.
Israel ‘eliminates’ Hezbollah commanders
At the start of his televised speech, Qassem expressed his appreciation for the leadership of Hezbollah and the Shura Council, which had selected him to bear this “heavy responsibility.”
Hezbollah’s Shura Council, charged with overseeing the group’s strategies and policies, elected Qassem as the group’s new secretary general on Tuesday, more than a month after his predecessor, Nasrallah, led Hezbollah for more than three decades. had led, was killed in a massive act of terror. Israeli attack in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on September 27.
Israel has killed several Hezbollah commanders during its ongoing offensive in Lebanon since October 2023.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army said it had “eliminated” the deputy commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, Mustafa Ahmad Shahadi, in an airstrike in the southern city of Nabatieh.
The Israeli army said in a statement that Shahadi “planned numerous terrorist attacks against Israel and oversaw attacks on (Israeli) soldiers in southern Lebanon.”
On September 20, Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh killed the head of the Radwan unit, Ibrahim Akil, along with fifteen other commanders, according to the Israeli army.
The Israeli military estimates that the Radwan unit includes thousands of fighters deployed in southern Lebanon on the border with Israel and planning to invade northern Israel.
Israel has increased its airstrikes across Lebanon since September, repeatedly bombing the south, Dahiyeh and the eastern Bekaa region – all known Hezbollah strongholds in the country – but also hitting other areas including the Keserwan and Jbeil districts, as well as in the northern governorate.
On Wednesday, Baalbek and Israel were hit by heavy airstrikes Bandboth of which are home to ancient Roman ruins. Earlier in the day, thousands of people fled Baalbek towards the town of Arsal near the border with Syria, after the Israeli army ordered residents to evacuate the town in anticipation of attacks targeting “Hezbollah interests.”
Just hours after issuing evacuation orders for Baalbek and surrounding areas, #Israel began heavily bombing the region. #بعلبك #لبنان #إسرائيل pic.twitter.com/5aQZfZgLvL
–Nicholas Frakes | نيكولاس فريكس (@nicfrakesjourno) October 30, 2024
The evacuation order covered most of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Baalbek, including the area near the city’s 3,000-year-old famous Roman ruins.
Baalbek Mayor Mustafa al-Shall told local Al-Jadeed television network on Wednesday that around 100,000 people had fled the city.
Ceasefire attempts are underway
Washington, which is leading efforts to end hostilities in Lebanon, is reportedly working on a new proposal that would include a 60-day ceasefire.
Two sources with knowledge of the talks told Reuters on Wednesday that US mediators would complete full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 – which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah – during the 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah .
US special envoy Amos Hochstein was in Lebanon last week for talks on a formula that would end the war in Lebanon. According to a report by Hezbollah-affiliated daily Al Akhbar, Hochstein’s formula included several changes to Resolution 1701, including expanding the geographic reach of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force.
According to Axios, Hochstein will travel to Israel on Thursday along with Brett McGurk, the White House’s top adviser on the Middle East, in an effort to broker a ceasefire.