Hezbollah chief says group will hold out in its war with Israel for ‘suitable’ cease-fire terms

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah’s recently named leader Naim Kassem said successful his first nationalist comments aired Wednesday that nan militant group will support fighting successful its ongoing warfare pinch Israel until it is offered cease-fire position it deems acceptable.

“If nan Israelis determine to extremity nan aggression, we opportunity that we accept, but according to nan conditions that we spot arsenic suitable,” Kassem said, speaking from an undisclosed location successful a pre-recorded televised address. “We will not request for a cease occurrence arsenic we will proceed (fighting)... nary matter really agelong it takes.”

The reside came arsenic world mediators person launched a new push for negotiated cease-fires successful Lebanon and Gaza.

More than 2,790 group person been killed and 12,700 wounded successful Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, erstwhile Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The conflict escalated sharply past period and Israeli crushed forces invaded confederate Lebanon astatine nan opening of October. Some 1.2 cardinal group person been displaced by nan conflict successful Lebanon according to authorities estimates.

In Israel, rockets, missiles, and drones launched by Hezbollah person killed astatine slightest 63 people, astir half of them soldiers. More than 60,000 Israelis from towns and cities on nan separator person been evacuated from their homes for much than a year.

Kassem, a cleric and founding personnel of nan Lebanese militant group, was named Tuesday to replace erstwhile longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed successful an Israeli airstrike connected a Beirut suburb successful precocious September. Kassem had served arsenic Nasrallah’s lawman for much than 3 decades.

Several different high-ranking officials pinch nan group, including Nasrallah’s presumptive successor, Hashem Safieddine, person besides been killed successful caller weeks, arsenic nan Israel-Hezbollah warfare has escalated successful Lebanon.

Kassem said nan bid of blows dealt to nan group successful caller weeks - including pager and walkie-talkie explosions that targeted Hezbollah members successful mid-September and nan assassination of Nasrallah - had “hurt” nan group, but he asserted that nan group had been capable to reorganize its ranks wrong 8 days aft Nasrallah’s death.

“Hezbollah’s capabilities are still disposable and compatible pinch a agelong war,” he said. He pointed to nan dependable watercourse of Israeli soldiers wounded and killed successful confederate Lebanon since Israeli forces launched a crushed penetration connected Oct. 1, and to a drone launched by Hezbollah that deed nan home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month. Netanyahu was not harmed.

He said Hezbollah has been successful coordination pinch Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, nan superior Lebanese interlocutor communicating pinch nan United States, which has put guardant a bid of proposals to extremity nan conflict.

“So acold nary task has been put guardant that Israel agrees connected and is acceptable for america to discuss it,” Kassem said.

Kassem said Hezbollah is carrying retired plans laid retired by its slain erstwhile main successful nan ongoing war.

There was nary contiguous Israeli consequence to nan speech, though respective Israeli leaders person hinted that Kassem is Israel’s adjacent high-level assassination target. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted a image of Kassem pinch nan words “Temporary appointment. Not for long.” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel would “ensure” that Kassem follows successful Nasrallah’s footsteps.

As Kassem was speaking, a bid of Israeli airstrikes pounded nan eastbound metropolis of Baalbek.

The Israeli service had earlier issued an removal informing for residents successful nan full eastbound Lebanese metropolis of Baalbek, including nan ancient Roman temple complex, inscribed arsenic a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The bid besides included surrounding areas and cardinal routes successful nan Bekaa Valley.

The service said they were targeting substance depots to halt nan activity of weapons and artillery from Iran, without providing grounds of specified activity. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Israel has a work to protect civilian infrastructure and taste practice sites.

On Oct. 6, an Israeli onslaught deed immoderate 700 meters (750 yards) distant from nan ancient citadel, which houses 2 of nan largest Roman temples successful nan world.

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Associated Press unit writers Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue successful Beirut, Matthew Lee successful Washington and Melanie Lidman successful Jerusalem contributed to this report.