Qassem claimed that at the time of the ceasefire's announcement in late November, Hezbollah still had significant military capabilities.
Qassem did say, however, that he hopes the new rulers of Syria see Israel as an enemy and don't normalize ties with it.
These moves are likely intended to assert his leadership capabilities and instill confidence among Hezbollah’s ranks.
“We won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah,” Qassem said.
Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, signals readiness for a long conflict, threatening Tel Aviv in response to Israeli strikes.
Qassem spoke of former Hezbollah leaders, Hassan Nasrallah, and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli strikes in September and October.
JPOST Digital Library
