In his first remarks after becoming Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem said he would follow the footsteps of his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, adding that the group would continue its "war plan". "If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression...we'll accept but [only if] conditions [are]...suitable," he said. Notably, Israel has termed Qassem's appointment "temporary", saying "he won't last long".