Nasrallah’s Deputy Naïm Qassem: Hezbollah’s Capabilities Are Intact

From Resistance News Unfiltered

Author: lecridespeuples
Translation: Resistance News Unfiltered

Full Speech by Naïm Qassem, Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah, on September 30, 2024.

This is Hezbollah’s first official address following the assassination of Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, and the only one to date (besides the daily communiqués).

Introduction
The Israeli-US Aggression Against Lebanon
Hezbollah’s Situation
Conclusion

Introduction

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and greetings be upon the most worthy of creatures, our Master (the Prophet) Mohammad (saas), upon his noble and pure family, upon his faithful companions, and upon all the Prophets and the Righteous, until the Day of Judgment.

Peace be upon you, and God’s Mercy and Blessings.

God the Most High has said in His Noble Book: “And those who believe in God and His Messengers, they are the great truth-tellers and witnesses with God. They will have their reward and their light.” [Quran, s. 57, v. 19] God Most High has spoken the truth.

We have lost a dear brother, a father, a leader, His Eminence the Secretary General, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, may God Most High be pleased with him. This great man, who remained in the field of jihad and the (divine) Message from his earliest childhood until the moment of his martyrdom, never left the battlefield. He was steeped in Islam, in love with the Prophet Mohammad and his family. He lived allegiance (to the Prophet and the Imams of his lineage) in his mind, soul, and blood, carrying forward the way of Imam Khomeini, may God sanctify his soul, and following the path of Imam Khamenei, may God prolong his life. He led the way for free fighters and mujahideen. His top priority was Palestine and Al-Quds (Jerusalem), within the framework of Islamic, national, and human unity. He was eloquent, sincere in his dealings with people, and in his speeches to them. He loved the fighters, who found comfort in him, just as he found solace in them, as did the pure people who had offered all they had on the path of God the Most High. He was compassionate in his dealings with the families of the martyrs, the wounded, and the prisoners. His faith in authentic Islam radiated throughout the world. He was cherished by the masses, by lovers of freedom and Palestine, and by all who hope for the liberation of Palestine from Zionist defilement (occupation). He shattered the arrogance of the United States and Israel, preventing them from dominating our region and our Islamic Nation.

We offer our condolences to the Imam of Time (al-Mahdi), may our souls be sacrificed to him, for the loss of our dearest, our beloved leader, His Eminence Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, may God be pleased with him. We also extend our condolences to Imam Khamenei, may God preserve him, to the great religious authorities, to the fighting men and women, and to his noble family—his wife and children—as well as to Lebanon, the region, the world, and all free men and women. We congratulate him and his martyred brothers for attaining the highest level of martyrdom, making the greatest sacrifice by shedding their blood, like Imam Hussein, may the peace of God be upon him. This supreme honor transcends all the honors and victories he achieved during his life. May God have mercy on you, O father of the martyr (Hadi Nasrallah), O father of martyrs, O great free man during your life and through your death.

O noble fighters, you embody the noble Qur’anic verse, “[There are, among the believers, men who have been sincere in their commitment to God]. Some of them have reached their end (martyrdom), and others are still waiting; and they have in no way varied (in their commitment).” (s. 33, v. 23). You are the ones still waiting. I know you send your condolences and congratulations (to the martyrs and their loved ones), but know that His Eminence (Sayed Nasrallah) is still with us, forever.

We also extend our condolences to the fighters who fell as martyrs alongside him, especially those present during the meeting: the esteemed jihadist commander, our brother Hajj Ali Karaki, and the distinguished jihadist, our brother Abbas Nilforouchan, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards responsible for Lebanon. Contrary to what has been stated by the Israeli enemy, this was not a meeting of 20 Hezbollah commanders (with Sayed Nasrallah), but only of his close collaborators, notably the head of his security, brother Ibrahim Jezzini, and brother fighter Samir Harb Jihad, who is always at his side. May God have mercy on them all. Following the martyrdom of our brother the scholar Nabil Qaouq, assassinated one day after Sayed Nasrallah, we also extend our congratulations and condolences to all his loved ones.

The Israeli-US Aggression Against Lebanon

What is happening now? Israel has launched an aggression and is committing massacres in all regions of Lebanon, carrying out air raids against villages one by one, until not a single house remains unaffected by Israeli aggression. Israel attacks civilians, health institutions, social organizations, all civilians on the move, and all those who remain in their homes—children, women, and the elderly. Israel does not attack combatants; rather, it perpetrates massacres against innocent civilians.

The United States supports Israel with all its resources and participates in its massacres by providing unrestricted military assistance, along with all forms of media, political, and cultural support. If Israel believes that it has been given carte blanche at the international level to openly pursue its barbarity and aggression, it is deluding itself. Yes, there is suffering and sacrifice, but we are the children of the Husseinite martyrdom that shapes the victory of the future. Some of us are falling as martyrs, while others tread the path to imminent victory, with the Grace of God the Most High. Everything we have endured in terms of great sacrifice, starting with the attacks on beepers and walkie-talkies, the martyrdom of our commanders, and then the martyrdom of our Secretary General, may God Most High be pleased with him, has been enough to shake armies, peoples, and states. Yet we have remained steadfast, with the help of God Most High. We continue to stand, day after day, despite suffering. We persevere despite sacrifice. We are the people of jihad and patience, “who kill and are killed” (Quran, s. 9, v. 111), awaiting God’s support, victory, and success. We do not know when it will arrive, but we are patient, as God has commanded us: “Be patient, for God’s promise is true” (Quran, s. 30, v. 60).

Hezbollah’s Situation

I would like to briefly mention several points:

1/ The path laid out and followed by His Eminence the Secretary General, Hojat-al-Islam Sayed Hassan Nasrallah, may God Most High be pleased with him, and honored by his leadership, is a path that will endure. Hezbollah will continue on its trajectory, its objectives, and its battlefields. The system of command and control persists, as do the fighters. What you followed with great precision, O Sayed Hassan, will continue with the plans you laid out and with the same accuracy. The brothers at their various posts continue their work, thanks to the organized structure you founded and maintained under the most difficult conditions. The alternative plans you prepared to replace individuals and commanders are being implemented, and all are present in the field.

2/ Despite the loss of several commanders, of whom Your Eminence (Sayed Nasrallah) is the foremost, despite the aggressions against civilians throughout Lebanon in full view of the world, and despite the great sacrifices and attempts to plunge our loved ones, our supporters, and those who love us into confusion and doubt, our resolve will not be shaken one iota, nor will our dignified and honorable positions. The Islamic Resistance will continue to confront the Israeli enemy, supporting Gaza and Palestine, defending Lebanon and its people, and responding to the assassinations and murders of civilians.

3/ Look at what happened after the assassination of His Eminence (Sayed Nasrallah): Islamic Resistance operations have continued with the same intensity, if not more. We targeted the settlement block of Ma’ale Adumim, 150 kilometers from the Lebanese border. We struck Haifa with a missile, and the Israeli army admitted yesterday that one million people sought shelter due to a single missile strike, and that is just the beginning. The pace and content of our strikes are determined by how we conduct and pursue our battle. However, I want to emphasize that what we are currently doing is the minimum, in line with our plan to continue the battle, our assessments, and predefined strategies, as well as the demands of the terrain. We know that the battle may be prolonged, and all options for escalation remain on the table. We will confront all scenarios, and we are prepared if the enemy decides to launch a ground operation. Our forces and the Resistance are ready for a ground invasion. We have prepared for this, and by the Grace of God the Most High, the Israeli enemy will not achieve its objectives, and we will emerge victorious from this battle. [Hezbollah previously conducted fewer than a dozen operations daily against Israel following the martyrdom of Sayed Nasrallah; since the attempted ground incursions, this has increased to 20 to 30 operations a day, inflicting dozens of fatalities and over a hundred injuries on the occupying army.]

4/ O our people, O our beloved ones, the calamity is immense, and the sacrifices are great. The enemy is pursuing two goals: to undermine the Resistance’s human and military capabilities to neutralize our forces, and to attack villages, towns, and civilians to create a rift between the people and the Resistance.

Regarding our capabilities, we are doing everything possible and are remedying the loss of our cadres by replacing them with their deputies. Israel has not succeeded in weakening our military capabilities; their media’s claim that they have destroyed the majority of our medium- and long-range (rocket/missile) capabilities is a fantasy they have not realized, and never will. Our capabilities are solid and robust, and the enemy is furious at their inability to undermine them. By God’s grace, we are prepared, and we persevere. This is true for both our human and military capabilities.

As for the strikes against villages and towns, you, who love His Eminence Sayed Hassan (Nasrallah), he always expressed his confidence in you and regarded you as his conscience, heart, and soul. He always supported your declarations and stood by your side. I am convinced that this great people, who have remained steadfast through great trials and have not allowed themselves to be shaken by tremors or aggression, will not waver today. We have complete confidence in you, O people of sacrifice and loyalty. We all share the same destiny, and with God’s grace, we will be victorious, as we were during the Liberation in 2000 and 2006 in the face of Israeli aggression.

5/ Currently, the leadership of Hezbollah is maintained, as is the direction of operations, according to Hezbollah’s organization, which provides for deputies and alternates for each commander, along with replacements as a precaution, ready to assume command if a commander is incapacitated, regardless of his position. After all that has transpired, we have implemented the necessary measures to ensure that deputies fill vacant positions. We will select a new Party Secretary General as soon as possible, following Hezbollah’s established procedures. All leadership positions will be filled. Rest assured that the choices will be straightforward because they are clear, and we are all in total cohesion. If anyone believes that after the appointments to various positions things will proceed differently, I assure you that what is occurring now is the normal continuation and supervision of affairs, and I invite the enemies to harbor no illusions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all the Lebanese, all those who have demonstrated honorable national unity in the face of Israeli and American crimes, a unity that has manifested itself across all regions of Lebanon, among all faiths and families. This is Lebanon’s honor, and with God’s grace, it will positively impact this great battle.

I thank the Lebanese government, political forces, associations, municipalities, religious bodies and institutions, individuals, and the media, as well as hospitals, doctors, the Ministry of Health, the Disaster Management Organization, and all those who contributed. I cannot mention everyone by name, but I extend my gratitude to all of you for standing by justice. With God’s grace, we will remain steadfast and achieve the desired results.

We all share the same destiny, but rest assured, with God’s grace, victory is our ally, and all we need is patience. As for military preparations, they are complete. God the Most High has said, “And prepare [to fight] against them all you can as strength and equipped cavalry, so as to frighten God’s enemy and your own” (Qur’an, s. 8, v. 60), and this will come to pass with God’s grace.

Peace be upon you, and God’s mercy and blessings.

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