Leader of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Naeem QassemHe announced on Friday that the organization reserves the right to respond to the assassination of its main military commander by Israel, and he did not rule out the possibility of a new confrontation with Israel.
Qassem made the statement in a televised speech, amid growing fears in Lebanon that Israel may intensify its bombing to pressure Hezbollah to give up its arsenal across the territory – something the group has consistently rejected.
Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai, in an attack south of Beirut on November 23, reinforced these fears.
Qassem stated that it was up to the party to “choose the moment” for any retaliation, and stressed that threats of a broader air attack had no impact on Hezbollah – although he acknowledged that a new conflict was a real possibility.
He did not specify the group’s position in any potential new conflict, but stated that Lebanon must prepare itself with a plan to confront Israel on the basis of “its army and its people.”
Qassem also expressed his hope that Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Lebanon “will play a role in promoting peace and ending the (Israeli) aggression.”
Lebanon is facing increasing pressure from both Israel and the United States to disarm Hezbollah and other armed factions in the country more quickly.
Moments after Qasim’s speech ended, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said that the Lebanese army’s efforts to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons in the south of the country were “insufficient.”
“Hezbollah continues to manipulate them and work secretly to maintain their arsenal,” Adraee said in the X post.
But Hezbollah reiterated that it will not agree to give up its weapons while Israel continues its attacks on Lebanese territory and occupies five points in the south of the country.