Hezbollah leader claims: We paid a heavy price, but resistance continues

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday gave an interview to the Lebanese channel Al-Manar, which is affiliated with the terrorist organization, for the first time since assuming his role as Hezbollah leader.

In the interview, as quoted in Ynet, Qassem admitted that there were “shortcomings” and a “security breach” within the terror organization but refused to acknowledge that the organization was defeated in the war, claiming, “We reached an agreement, stopped the fire, and the capability is still with us.”

Qassem said that after Israel’s elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, he contacted Hashem Safieddine, then head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, and asked him to take over as Secretary-General in Nasrallah’s place. However, days later, the IDF also eliminated Safieddine.

“We are conducting investigations to draw lessons and hold people accountable,” Qassem noted. He also noted the firing of a drone towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, claiming, “Hezbollah reaching Netanyahu’s home proves that the capability exists.”

The Hezbollah leader further stated, “We paid a heavy price, but the resistance continues on the ground. We are in a new phase where the constants have not changed, but the methods, approaches, and timing have. We face new equations, not dictated by Israel. Let the state seize this opportunity, through political action, and show the whole world that Israel did not retreat through politics—but through fighting and resistance. Israel only understands weapons.”

He also addressed the fact that the IDF remains in five strategic points within Lebanese territory and warned, “I say to the Israelis, even if you stay in those points, how long will it last? The resistance will not allow you to continue staying there. If the occupation persists, the army, the people, and the resistance will have to deal with it.”

Qassem recently warned that Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory and that the terror group would consider any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil beyond the deadline an occupation.

Those comments came ahead of a February 18 deadline by which the IDF was to have withdrawn from southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire agreement.

The IDF was initially to transfer control of the territories it had captured to Lebanon on January 26, but due to the fact that Lebanon did not bring enough forces, thus breaching the agreement, the White House announced that the ceasefire would be extended until February 18.

Israel indeed withdrew from most of the villages in southern Lebanon on February 18, but continues manning the five forward installations in southern Lebanon that Israel has announced it will not return.