Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem declares victory against Israel in televised speech

“We are meeting today in an atmosphere of divine victory,” Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a televised speech Friday, adding that the “victory” achieved is greater than the one in 2006. 

“We won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah, stopped them from ending the resistance, and defeated them because the enemy was forced to justify the agreement,” the new 71-year-old Hezbollah leader said.

One of the signs of Israel’s defeat is “the image of the return of our people and the absence of the settlers on the opposite side,” he said, referring to the Israeli evacuees who have not returned to their homes.

“Israel expected to achieve its goals in a short time after striking the command system and capabilities,” Qassem said, alluding to the pager attack the Jewish state carried out in September.

“Hezbollah was able to stand firm on the frontlines and began targeting the enemy's home front, which put the situation into a significant defensive position,” he continued. 

Cease-fire arrangements

Qassem also discussed the cease-fire arrangements in his speech, saying that there will be “high-level coordination” between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah to implement the deal. “We approved the deal with our heads held high,” he said.

He stressed that the main point of the agreement was the withdrawal of the Israeli military from all parts of southern Lebanon below the Litani River. 

“For those that bet that Hezbollah would be weakened, their bet has failed,” he said. 

Reuters contributed to this report.