Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, in his first remarks since being elected on October 29, said on Wednesday (October 30) that Hezbollah would continue on its path of war with Israel.

"We will continue our war plan within the outlined political frameworks, we will remain on the path of war," he said

“Our project is the protection of Lebanon. Our project is the liberation of our land. Our project is to support our brothers in Palestine,” Qassem added.

Qassem has been a senior figure in Hezbollah for more than 30 years. He was appointed deputy chief in 1991 by Hezbollah's then-secretary general Abbas al-Musawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack the following year.

Qassem remained in his role when Nasrallah became leader, and has long been one of Hezbollah's leading spokesmen, conducting interviews with foreign media including as cross-border hostilities with Israel raged over the last year.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 2,822 people and injured 12,937 others since October 2023, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Wednesday.