Hezbollah Leader Qassem: We Could Not Let Israel Catch Us Off Guard
Beirut, October 30 (Hibya) - Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem stated that they could not allow Israel to catch them off guard, saying: "This is why we acted on the idea that 'the best defense is offense,' and freedom can only be achieved in this way."
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut in September, and Naim Qassem took his place, making his first statement after assuming office.
Highlights from Qassem's speech:
“When Israel occupied Lebanon in the 1980s, Hezbollah didn’t even exist. For 17 years, the enemy attacked Lebanon daily. Ask the United Nations or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. Israel committed 39 ,000 violations.
Thank God, we stood by Gaza with sincere emotions. Of course, we took the right steps at the right time. Our resistance here prevented Israel's plans, and we are still capable of this.
If we had waited, we could have lost everything. Israel always prepares surprise attacks and extraordinary military preparations. The thought "don’t give Israel an excuse" was incorrect, as they don’t need any excuse to attack.
It was better to attack than to wait and do nothing. We could not allow Israel to catch us off guard. This is why we acted on the idea that 'the best defense is offense,' and freedom can only be achieved in this way.
Today, we are fighting against a huge plan in Gaza, Lebanon, and the region. This is not just a war that Israel has opened against Lebanon and Gaza. It is a war led by Israel, the United States, and European forces against the world. All resources are being used at the international level here.
They are using all means to destroy the resistance and our peoples in the region. And this is at least a joint US-Israeli plan.”
Albania News Agency