New Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem says open to truce with Israel if terms 'suitable'

Hezbollah's new leader, Naim Qassem,  on Wednesday  said that the Lebanese militant group could agree to a ceasefire under specific conditions, as Israeli forces escalated their bombardment of Hezbollah strongholds. This development comes amid discussions within Israel's security cabinet regarding potential terms for a truce.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah elected its deputy secretary general Naim Qassem to succeed slain head Hassan Nasrallah. Considered one of the foundational religious scholars of the Lebanese group, Qassem, according to AlJazeera, oversaw part of Hezbollah’s educational network and has also been involved in overseeing its parliamentary activities. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the southern edges of Beirut last month.

. He is one of the few leaders of the Iran-backed group to survive Israel’s recent onslaught on the organization, which saw some of its key figures assassinated.

Qassem, expressed Hezbollah's readiness to resist Israeli military actions for an extended period. However, he acknowledged the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire if Israel presents a credible offer. "If the Israelis decide that they want to stop the aggression, we say we accept, but under the conditions that we see as appropriate and suitable," he remarked during an interview with Al-Jadeed.