Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a televised address on Wednesday that Israel’s assassination of the group’s media head, Mohammad Afif, in Beirut last week would not go unanswered.
“The Israeli enemy has attacked the capital, Beirut, and Afif, who held a civilian, media, and political role that should be protected in such circumstances. The enemy did not stop at targeting Ras al-Nabeh to assassinate Afif but also attacked the areas of Mar Elias and Zoqaq al-Blat, striking and assassinating in the heart of Beirut. Therefore, it must expect a response in the heart of Tel Aviv.”
Qassem said: “We have faced two battles: the first was supporting Gaza for 11 months, and the second began two months ago, which we have called the ‘Battle of the Mighty’ to repel Israel’s comprehensive aggression on Lebanon.”
He also addressed the US-brokered ceasefire talks currently in progress.
“We agreed to the idea proposed by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, which suggested that a solution could be reached by halting the aggression. However, they assassinated our Secretary-General on September 27, and the battle has continued since then,” he said in reference to the killing of the group’s former chief Hassan Nasrallah.
He said Hezbollah experienced a “period of confusion” for ten days after Nasrallah’s killing, but then managed to regroup.
“We have been able to regain our political, resistance, and media strength across all fields. While the losses are painful and severe – enough to topple states, parties, and armies – we have resilient figures who help us withstand these challenges.”
