The Times of Israel reports: “In a TV address on Wednesday afternoon, new Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said a diplomatic settlement to the terror group’s ongoing conflict was still possible, but only once Israel stops its military campaign in Lebanon.

In his second televised speech since taking the helm of the group following the Israeli assassination of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in September, Qassem said the war will only end after Israel stops its ‘aggression’ against Lebanon, and only at that point will Hezbollah agree to indirect negotiations, under the mediation of its ally Nabih Berri, president of the Lebanese parliament.

‘I will tell you very clearly, our conviction is that only one thing can stop this war of aggression, and that is the battlefield,’ said Qassem in a pre-recorded address. He said he did not believe ‘political action’ would bring about an end to the more than yearlong conflict.

‘When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path for negotiations that we have clearly defined — indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state and Speaker Berri,’ said Qassem. He said those talks could only proceed if they guaranteed ‘the protection of Lebanese sovereignty in full, without anything missing,’ but did not provide further details…”