Hezbollah announces hell in Lebanon if Israel invades: We are waiting for you ready for a clash

(Patria) - Hezbollah Deputy Chief Naim Qassem delivers his first address since the organization's leader was killed in an Israeli attack over the weekend, Sky News reports.

He says the organization lost a brother and leader when Hassan Nasrallah was killed.

Despite this and the loss of other commanders, he says the militant group has continued its path against Israel.

Going forward, he says they will continue to follow the same command and structure as Nasrallah.

"We will not back down an inch from our position in support of Gaza and Palestine and the defense of Lebanon and its people," he adds.

He warns that if Israel wants to launch a ground invasion of Lebanon, its fighters are prepared and ready.

"We are convinced that the Israeli enemy will not achieve its goals," he adds.

“We know that the battle is long and that our options are open, and we are ready for the enemy to enter by land, just as the resistance forces are ready for a ground clash.”

He accused the United States of supporting Israel in committing "massacres" with "unlimited support".

Qassem also mentions the appointment of Nasrallah's replacement, saying it will happen at the "first opportunity".

“We have done the necessary work to find alternatives, and we will elect the party's secretary-general as soon as possible according to the approved mechanism,” he says.

Nasrallah's cousin Hashem Safieddine is among the frontrunners to take over.

Supporters see him as a member of a respected Shiite family that has produced both religious scholars and Lebanese politicians.

Safieddine's brother is Hezbollah's representative in Iran, while his son is married to the daughter of Qassem Soleimani – an Iranian general killed in a US drone strike during Donald Trump's presidency in 2020.