Hezbollah’s new chief Naim Qassem on Wednesday mentioned the group would comply with a ceasefire with Israel below acceptable phrases, however added {that a} viable deal has but to be introduced.
Qassem, who was named Hezbollah secretary-general on Tuesday, didn’t explicitly hyperlink a Lebanon ceasefire to an finish to combating in Gaza, a place beforehand held by the Iran-backed group.
“If the Israelis determine that they wish to cease the aggression, we are saying we settle for, however below the circumstances that we see as applicable and appropriate,” Qassem mentioned in a pre-recorded speech, his first since he was named the group’s new chief.
However Hezbollah “is not going to beg for a ceasefire”, he added, noting that political efforts to safe a deal have but to yield outcomes.
“No mission has been proposed that Israel agrees to and that we are able to talk about,” he mentioned.
Qassem replaces Hassan Nasrallah who was assassinated by Israel on September 27 after greater than 30 years on the helm.
He takes over as Hezbollah is locked in all-out struggle with Israel, which ramped up strikes in opposition to its strongholds and despatched floor forces throughout the border final month.
“Get out of our land to scale back your losses. Should you keep, you’ll pay greater than you will have ever paid in your life,” Qassem mentioned, including that Hezbollah might maintain combating “for days, weeks and months”.
He acknowledged that Israel’s killing of Nasrallah and different senior Hezbollah figures dealt the group a “painful” blow.
However he mentioned Hezbollah “has began to recuperate by filling the gaps, appointing various leaders and commencing work to organise every little thing”.
Qassem additionally pledged to uphold the struggle technique laid down by his predecessor.
“My work programme is a continuation of the work programme of our chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” he mentioned, pledging to press forward with “the struggle plan that he developed”.
Qassem’s remarks got here after Israeli Power Minister Eli Cohen mentioned Israel’s safety cupboard is discussing the phrases of a truce with Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
“There are discussions, I feel it’ll nonetheless take time,” Cohen instructed Israeli public radio.
In keeping with Israel’s Channel 12 tv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with ministers on Tuesday night on Israel’s calls for in return for a 60-day truce.
These embody a Hezbollah pullback to north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli frontier, the Lebanese military’s deployment alongside the border, a world intervention mechanism to implement the truce and a assure that Israel will keep freedom of motion in case of threats.
In keeping with Israeli media, US President Joe Biden’s Center East adviser Brett McGurk and particular envoy Amos Hochstein will head to the area Wednesday to satisfy Netanyahu and different Israeli officers to debate circumstances for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
