ALBAWABA - Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General, says the party has recovered from major setbacks and is once again strong and functioning. Qassem said earlier today that Hezbollah established a "new equation" a week ago to improve its strikes on Israel and "inflict pain on the enemy."
Qassem said in his third address after Hassan Nasrallah's killing that Hezbollah's missile attacks had reached Tel Aviv, halting Ben Gurion Airport operations and pushing two million Israelis into bomb bunkers.
Qassem said, "We have the power to hit any location within the Israeli entity, and we will select the right target at the appropriate time."
Hezbollah's deputy commander said the group's combat gains in the previous two weeks exceeded expectations. "What we've accomplished on the ground has exceeded even our own predictions," he added, adding that Hezbollah works to "pursue the enemy and carry out operations wherever they enter."
Qassem told Israelis that a truce is the only answer to the war. He advised Israelis to look at battle deaths rather than their leaders' statements.
Qassem also said that Hezbollah had proposed a Gaza truce if Israel stopped attacking. He warned that Hezbollah would continue operations if Israel rejects the plan, saying this appeal is not weak.
Qassem said that Israeli settlers in the north may return after a truce, although he did not elaborate. He warned that protracted violence will grow northern Israel's abandoned settlements and endanger millions of Israelis.
Qassem called the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation a "legitimate" reaction to 75 years of Israeli occupation in his address. He backed Palestinian resistance as a way to overthrow Israeli rule.
Qassem said that "Israel is an occupying entity that poses a grave threat to the region." Hezbollah supports Palestinian initiatives, citing justice.
Israeli expansionist goals include Lebanon, Qassem said, threatening a "new Middle East" formed by Israeli and U.S. designs.
Qassem stressed Iran's satisfaction in aiding Palestinian resistance and Hezbollah's links. He said Hezbollah's fight against Israel is legal and defensive to safeguard Lebanon and the region from Israeli occupation.
Qassem advised Lebanese to be patient and united, as Hezbollah will continue its struggle. He said Hezbollah will repair houses and support Lebanese.
