Following the death of leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s deputy signaled on Monday that the terror group would announce its new leader soon, saying it would choose his successor “at the earliest opportunity.”

According to Reuters, Naim Qassem made the remark during the first televised address by a Hezbollah official after Nasrallah was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday.

“We will elect a general secretary for the party at the earliest possible date… and we will fill the leadership and positions permanently,” Qassem said while speaking from an undisclosed location in front of three wooden panels.

Qassem reportedly added that Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at Israel and that “what we are doing is the bare minimum… We know the fight can be protracted.”

ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HIZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT ATTACK

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem delivers a speech from an undisclosed location days after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike. (Al Manar TV/Reuters)

“Israel has not been able to match our military capabilities, and what its media says about achieving most medium and long-range capabilities is a dream they have not achieved and will never fulfill,” Qassem was quoted by Reuters as saying on the terrorists cited rockets from the group.

He added that Hezbollah was ready to defend itself against any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.

“We will face every possibility and are ready if the Israelis decide to invade by land and the resistance forces are ready for a ground fight,” Qassem reportedly said.

ISRAELI ATTACK KILLS HAMAS COMMANDER IN LEBANON, 3 PALESTINIAN MILITANT LEADERS KILLED IN SEPARATE ATTACK

Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem leads funeral prayers during the funeral of senior Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil and Hezbollah member Mahmoud Hamad, who were killed in Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 22.

Israeli forces confirmed that Nasrallah died in an attack on the group’s headquarters in Lebanon on Friday.

“The IDF announces that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and one of its founders, was eliminated by the IDF yesterday (Friday), September 27, 2024, along with Ali Karki, the commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front, additional Hezbollah- Commanders,” the IDF said in a statement.

People listen to a speech by Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem, broadcast on Hezbollah television channel al-Manar, at a barbershop in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30. (AP/Bilal Hussein)

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“According to precise intelligence from the IDF and Israeli security forces, IAF fighter jets carried out a targeted attack on the headquarters of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was located under a residential building in the Dahieh area of ​​Beirut,” the statement continued. “The attack was carried out while Hezbollah leadership was operating from its headquarters and promoting terrorist activities against the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Fox News’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.