The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, during a speech given in October. Screenshot.
"We are entering a new phase, without a doubt. But this phase does not mean a change of principles, only an evolution of methods," stated Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday in an interview with Al-Manar, his first since taking office on Oct. 29.
"We want to build a just and efficient state, capable of meeting people's needs. Our engagement in legislative elections, our participation in the government, in municipal elections, aims to represent the people," he continued.
In line with his speech during the public funeral of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, on Feb. 23, Qassem sought to outline Hezbollah’s political vision, emphasizing the role of Lebanese authorities in fighting Israeli occupation and rebuilding the country. He called on "those who are not realistic" to "come back down to earth."
"Let them show us they are capable!"
The interviewer, Manar Sabbagh, appeared surprised: "Allow me to clarify an idea. Some might understand your remarks (...) as if you are preparing to abandon the military side and your weapons, to focus solely on political action."
Qassem reiterated that Hezbollah is entering "a new phase, without a doubt," while insisting this did not mean a shift in core principles, only a change in approach. He expressed support for "the monopoly of arms" by the state, but clarified that this applied solely to the disarmament of "militias, not the resistance."
However, he indicated Hezbollah will not "systematically respond to every Israeli strike as we did before."
"All I want to tell people is: wait a little, be patient with us (…) at this precise moment, we must be patient to see where the agreement will lead," he said. "If we are told that the state will suffice to face the Israeli enemy, let them show us what they are capable of! We have no problem with them taking on this mission," he added.
Qassem also reacted to comments by Foreign Minister Joe Rajji, appointed by the Lebanese Forces, who recently said that Hezbollah’s weapons "give Israel a pretext to strike Lebanon."
Turning the accusation around, Qassem claimed it was Rajji who "gives Israel pretexts" by implying that Israel's aggression can be justified. He also criticized the foreign minister for failing to condemn Israeli occupation, calling his statements "inadmissible" for a government official, especially the head of diplomacy.
The Lebanese Forces fired back Monday in a statement on its website, saying that "those who cling to their weapons" are the ones providing Israel "with pretexts not to fully respect cease-fire agreements." The party again accused Hezbollah of dragging Lebanon into war with Israel by unilaterally deciding to open a front in support of Gaza, thereby overstepping state authority in matters of war and peace.
Despite the tensions, Qassem called for national unity.
"Now, we want to build our country together. We want it to be strong. We want to rebuild what the Israeli enemy destroyed. We want to solve the economic and social crisis, restore the integrity of the judicial system, return depositors' money, and fight corruption. These are all axes we want to work on," he said.
He also stated that the government — not Hezbollah — should fund reconstruction of war-damaged areas. When the interviewer expressed surprise at this "new approach," Qassem said his party "would assist the state, if needed." He also argued that reconstruction should not be contingent on reforms.
On Monday, the president of the republic implicitly responded to Qassem, telling visitors that "reforms are a national demand."
Security breaches within Hezbollah
Asked about the president's remarks to an Iranian delegation that Lebanon "is tired of others' wars on its territory," Qassem rejected the claim.
"Our war is not someone else's," he said. "Those who died are Lebanese, those who were bombed are Lebanese, and our cause is the liberation of Lebanese territory."
Regarding violations of the cease-fire agreement, he said Hezbollah had "not negotiated from a position of weakness" but insisted, "We did not want this war. (…) When the Israeli enemy proposed a cease-fire under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, we had no objection."
He also took aim at American Gen. Jasper Jeffers, head of the cease-fire monitoring committee, calling him "the thief playing the guardian."
Following in the footsteps of former Sour MP Nawaf Moussawi, Qassem acknowledged "security breaches and some flaws" within Hezbollah during the war and said an investigation had been launched. He described "10 extremely difficult, chaotic days" between the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27 and his second speech on Oct. 8.
"The command was targeted, command centers were destroyed, communications were cut off, and several cadres became martyrs," he said.
On Thursday evening, Hezbollah released a four-minute video honoring dozens of its senior members killed by Israel.
Finally, when asked about Syria, where Hezbollah fought alongside the Assad regime during the civil war, Qassem admitted the situation remains uncertain.
"I cannot say whether Syria will succeed in stabilizing or fall into chaos," he said. "We hope it will regain stability, and its various forces will reach an agreement and build a strong state."