The new leader of Hezbollah announced he would continue with the “war plan” laid out by his predecessor — the same day the Israeli military confirmed the death of a deputy commander of the terrorist group’s elite unit.
Naim Qassem, who has been the leader of Hezbollah for less than 48 hours and is already targeted for assassination, gave his first address on Wednesday. He communicated his intention to stay the course of the terrorist group’s strategy against the Israeli military.
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“My work program is a continuation of the work program of our [former] leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” Qassem said, according to a translation from France24.
“Get out of our land to reduce your losses,” Qassem warned the Israeli military, claiming that Hezbollah was willing to fight far into the future despite heavy casualties. “If you stay, you will pay more than you have ever paid in your life.”
In the address, Qassem noted the near-total decapitation of the terrorist organization’s leadership, which he described as a series of “painful blows.”
The Hezbollah chief said the group “has started to recover by filling the gaps, appointing alternative leaders, and commencing work to organize everything.”
The address came on the same day as an announcement by the Israeli military that an airstrike eliminated a commander of one of Hezbollah’s most elite units.
Mustafa Ahmad Shahdi, deputy commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces, was killed in an airstrike outside Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to an announcement from the military on Wednesday.
The Radwan Forces are among Hezbollah’s most specialized outfits — they are trained in special operations and work to conduct attacks inside Israeli territory.
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“Eliminating Shahdi is part of the effort to degrade Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces’ capabilities to direct and execute terrorist activities against IDF troops and communities in the northern border, in particular the ‘Conquer the Galilee’ plan,” Israeli military officials said in a statement announcing the successful operation.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has already made clear his country’s intention to assassinate Qassem, calling his elevation to leadership a “temporary appointment” that is “not for long.”
