Naim Qassem, the new leader of Hezbollah, said today that he will follow the war strategy established by his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, who was recently killed by the Israelis. In his first speech as head of the Lebanese Shiite movement, Qassem said that his program would be a continuation of Nasrallah’s, pledging to carry out the war plan drawn up by the leadership.
Meanwhile, U.S. mediators are drafting a proposal to halt hostilities between the Israeli military and Iran-backed Hezbollah. A 60-day ceasefire is expected, Haaretz and other international media reported. Sources familiar with the talks said the period would be used to ensure the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to keep southern Lebanon free of non-state-controlled weapons.
Mediators seeking a ceasefire in Gaza are prepared to present Hamas with a truce lasting less than a month. A source familiar with the talks said the goal is a “short-term” truce. The proposal includes exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinians held in Israel and increasing humanitarian aid for Gaza. U.S. officials believe a temporary agreement could facilitate the creation of a more lasting arrangement.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to residents of the Lebanese city of Baalbek. Hezbollah also announced that it had carried out airstrikes against an Israeli base in southern Haifa. A Lebanese security official confirmed that one man was killed in an Israeli strike on an ammunition depot.
The Israeli Air Force struck more than 100 targets linked to Hezbollah yesterday, saying it had eliminated several members of the pro-Iranian group across Lebanon. Among the targets hit was a launcher used in attacks against northern Israel.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 143 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes the previous day, with 132 casualties in the war-torn north of the territory.
Finally, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations condemned recent Israeli legislation aimed at limiting the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), calling it a form of collective punishment contrary to international legal obligations.
Under the leadership of its new Secretary General Naim Qassem, Hezbollah has declared that it will continue to oppose Israel. This was according to an official statement issued by the Lebanese party, which announced the election of Qassem as the new leader of the Shiite movement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over Israel’s passage of a law targeting UNRWA, the UN agency that provides assistance to Palestinian refugees.