Hezbollah: If Israel Doesn't Want A Ceasefire, We Will Continue A Painful Attack

JAKARTA - Deputy Secretary-General Hezbollah Naim Qassem said his group had adopted a "new calculation" to cause "suffering" to Israel.

Israel launched a massive offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah on September 23 with the aim of allowing northern Israelis to return to their homes forced to be evacuated for a year due to cross-border rocket attacks from Lebanon.

"The solution is a ceasefire, we are not speaking of a weak position," Qassem said.

"If Israel doesn't want that, we will continue (the attack)," he continued in a speech broadcast.

Qassem said the northern Israelis would be able to return to their homes once a ceasefire agreement was reached through an indirect agreement.

But he threatened that more Israelis would flee if the war continued, saying the number of uninhabited settlements would increase.

"Hundreds of thousands, even more than two million, will be in danger at any time, at any time," continued Qassem.

He said that because Israel attacked all over Lebanon, the group had the right to attack anywhere in Israel.

"We will focus on targeting the Israeli military and its center and barracks," he said.

Israeli attacks killed 2,309 people in Lebanon over the past year, especially in recent weeks, according to the Lebanese government. More than 1.2 million Lebanese citizens were forced to flee.