Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warns of possible new conflict after Israel kills senior commander

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Friday warned that the group reserves the right to retaliate for Israel’s recent killing of its top military commander, signalling that a new conflict with Israel remains a possibility.

According to a Reuters report, in a televised address, Qassem spoke as concerns mounted in Lebanon over a potential escalation by Israel, which analysts fear may intensify its bombardment to pressure Hezbollah into surrendering its nationwide arsenal — a demand the group has consistently rejected.

The tensions follow Israel’s November 23 strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, which killed senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabtabai. The assassination has heightened fears of a broader confrontation.

Qassem said Hezbollah would “set the timing” for any response, adding that Israeli threats of a wider air campaign “have no impact” on the group.

He noted that while war was not inevitable, it remained a real possibility.

“Do you expect a war later? It’s possible sometime. Yes, this possibility is there, and the possibility of no war is also there,” Qassem was quoted as saying.

Qassem did not specify how Hezbollah would position itself in the event of a new war but said Lebanon should be ready with a national strategy to confront Israel built on “its army and its people.”

He also expressed hope that Pope Leo’s upcoming visit to Lebanon “will play a role in bringing about peace and ending the (Israeli) aggression.”

Lebanon continues to face mounting pressure from both Israel and the United States to accelerate efforts to disarm Hezbollah and other armed groups.

Minutes after Qassem’s address, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee criticised the Lebanese army’s attempts to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons in the south as “inadequate.”

“Hezbollah continues to manipulate them and work covertly to maintain its arsenal,” Adraee said in a post on X.

Hezbollah, however, has repeatedly insisted it will not give up its weapons as long as Israel maintains its strikes on Lebanese territory and continues to occupy five disputed points in the country’s south.

With inputs from agencies