Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem during his speech on Nov. 20, 2024. (Credit: Screenshot from Al-Manar)
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem asserted Wednesday that no cease-fire agreement would be accepted if it violated "Lebanon's sovereignty," responding to Israeli intentions to maintain "freedom of action" against the group. Meanwhile, U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein announced his departure for Israel after meetings in Beirut as part of efforts to secure a cease-fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.
"Israel cannot impose its conditions on us," said Qassem, adding that Hezbollah demanded "a complete halt to aggression and the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty." He further stated, "The Israeli enemy cannot enter Lebanese territory whenever it pleases under a cease-fire." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday that any cease-fire agreement in Lebanon must allow Israel "freedom of action" against Hezbollah. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this stance, declaring that "any political settlement in Lebanon must preserve [Israel's] intelligence capability and right to act to protect its citizens from Hezbollah."
"We received the negotiation document, studied it thoroughly, and provided remarks. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also has comments aligned with ours," Qassem said. "We negotiated under two principles: a complete and total cease-fire, and the preservation of Lebanese sovereignty. We will remain on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or fail." He added, "The occupation thought it could achieve through an agreement what it failed to achieve on the ground, but that is impossible."
Qassem emphasized, "The resistance is not a regular army; it combats the enemy wherever it advances. That is the work and method of the resistance. We have demonstrated an exceptional form of resistance to the enemy. Israel can't defeat us or impose its conditions. We are men of the field, and we will remain there."
"We face a savage enemy and will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We face Israeli human monsters backed by American human monsters. (...) I hope we emerge stronger because we have held firm. When the enemy fails to achieve its goals, it means we have won." He also affirmed that Israel "is also under fire" during this phase of negotiations.
"In the heart of Tel Aviv"
Qassem began his speech by paying tribute to Hezbollah media official Mohammad Afif, killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s Ras al-Nabeh neighborhood, along with four others from his team. The strike also killed three other people and injured 16, according to the Health Ministry. "Israel attacked the heart of Beirut, so it must expect the response to take place in the heart of Tel Aviv. It must pay the price," he warned.
In addition to the strike on Ras al-Nabeh, the Mar Elias neighborhood was targeted the same day by an Israeli airstrike on an electronics store, resulting in multiple deaths. On Monday, Zokak el-Blat, a neighborhood near downtown Beirut, was bombed.
The new Hezbollah secretary-general concluded his speech by addressing Lebanon’s presidential election, with the country having been without a head of state since Michel Aoun’s term ended. "Our internal efforts will align with the Taif Agreement and involve cooperation with political forces," he said. "We will actively contribute to electing a president through Parliament." He added, "During the battle, we think about the future of our country. We have never changed, and we will never change, our honorable positions for the nation. We remain committed to the Army-People-Resistance equation."
Qassem also acknowledged that the party experienced a period of "confusion" for 10 days following Hassan Nasrallah's assassination on Sept. 27. "We have regained our strength in all domains and possess the means necessary to face challenges."
Hezbollah opened a front against Israel following Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza war, claiming to act in support of the Palestinian movement. The party and the Israeli army entered open warfare on Sept. 23, with the Israeli military conducting incursions in southern Lebanon since Sept. 30. The violence has resulted in over 3,540 deaths on the Lebanese side since October 2023, most since the start of Israel’s massive bombing campaign on Sept. 23. On the Israeli side, 79 soldiers and 46 civilians have been killed over 13 months.
