Qassem declares 'great victory', vows cooperation with army in implementing ceasefire
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday declared a "great victory" against Israel in his first speech since a ceasefire went into effect in Lebanon.
"I have decided to declare... officially and clearly that we are facing a great victory that surpasses that of July 2006," Qassem said, adding: "We won because we prevented the enemy from destroying Hezbollah... (and) from annihilating or weakening the resistance."
"Israel's losses were huge in terms of displacement and casualties and it reached a dead end due to resistance," Qassem added in a televised speech, boasting that "the resistance's resilience astonished the world."
"The resistance continued and it shall remain," he said.
Qassem also vowed to coordinate at a "high level" with the Lebanese Army to implement the terms of the ceasefire with Israel that began two days earlier.
"The coordination between the resistance and the Lebanese Army will be at a high level to implement the commitments of the agreement," Qassem said, adding that "no one is betting on problems or disagreements" with the army.
"Hezbollah will work to preserve national unity and enhance Lebanon's defensive capabilities," he added.
As for Hezbollah's support for the Palestinians, Qassem said that it will continue in "various forms."
"Our support for Palestine will continue in the appropriate ways," he added.
Turning to the domestic situation, Qassem said: "Together with our people, we will continue the reconstruction process to provide decent housing."
"We want to return Lebanon to be more beautiful than it was," he said.
Qassem also said that Hezbollah will "cooperate with and talk to all forces that want to build a unified Lebanon within the framework of the Taif Agreement," while vowing to contribute to the speedy election of a new president.
Source: Naharnet
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