Hezbollah ‘ready’ for an all-out war with Israel, deputy head says
Sheikh Naim Qassem tells Al Jazeera that Hezbollah is not seeking to widen its conflict with Israel but ‘will not allow Israel to secure any victories’.
The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is not seeking to widen its conflict with Israel but is ready to fight any war imposed on it, its deputy leader said, as hostilities across the Lebanese-Israeli border continue to flare.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Lebanese group’s deputy chief, said Hezbollah is “ready for the battle and will not allow Israel to secure any victories”.
“Any Israeli expansion of the war on Lebanon will be met with devastation, destruction and displacement in Israel,” he added.
“If Israel wants to fight an all-out war, we are ready for it.”
Iran-aligned Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months in parallel with Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.
The Lebanese front, Qassem said, is permanently linked to Gaza, echoing similar sentiments expressed by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who has repeatedly described the group’s support for Gaza as “final”.
The cross-border violence, which has oscillated for months, escalated in recent days. Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it had launched a squadron of one-way attack drones at an Israeli military barracks for a second consecutive day, calling it a response to a deadly Israeli attack on Lebanon.
Meanwhile, sirens sounded in northern Israel.
‘Not a sustainable reality’
The hostilities have been the worst between Israel and Hezbollah since they went to war in 2006, and tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes.
Israel’s war cabinet is due to meet later on Tuesday – mainly to discuss the northern front, an Israeli official said.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer on Tuesday said the fighting in the north was “not a sustainable reality”.
He said Israel was committed to ensuring the security of tens of thousands of Israelis who had been evacuated from the area and to ensuring they return home.
“It is up to Hezbollah to decide if this can be accomplished by diplomatic means or by force,” he said. “We are defending this country and no one should be surprised by our response.”
Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden at the heart of diplomatic efforts seeking de-escalation, said last week that a land border agreement between Israel and Lebanon implemented in phases could dampen the conflict.
Israel has gone to war several times in Lebanon.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch, a member of the right-wing and ruling Likud Party who is not part of Israel’s war cabinet, told Israeli Army Radio on Monday that Israel “must go to war to drive Hezbollah … beyond the Litani” river, which meets the Mediterranean Sea near the Lebanese city of Tyre, 19km (12 miles) from the border.
Israeli strikes have killed some 300 members of Hezbollah since October 7, and around 80 civilians. Attacks from Lebanon on Israel have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, the Israeli military says.
Rockets fired from Lebanon set off wildfires across swathes of northern Israel on Monday.
Hezbollah said on Monday that it launched a squadron of drones against an Israeli target in response to Israel’s killing of a Hezbollah member. While Hezbollah has used drones in the conflict, it marked the first time it had declared launching a squadron of them.
The group said Tuesday’s drone launch had been in response to what it described as an Israeli assassination in the border town of Naqoura.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Latest
“The difference between me and you is.
I stand with every innocent, oppressed, victimized person.
But before you decide to stand with these people, you go through a checklist. There they belong.
country, group, region and religion.”
― Mohammed Zaki Ansari, “Zaki’s Gift Of Love”
Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you¦ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a great web site.
Hello my family member! I want to say that this post is amazing, nice written and come with almost all important infos. I’d like to peer more posts like this.
Hello! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say wonderful blog!
Can I just say what a relief to seek out somebody who actually knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You positively know methods to convey a difficulty to light and make it important. More folks need to learn this and understand this side of the story. I cant consider youre no more widespread because you definitely have the gift.
What i do not realize is in reality how you are not really much more neatly-preferred than you might be now. You are very intelligent. You understand therefore significantly with regards to this topic, made me in my view believe it from so many various angles. Its like men and women aren’t fascinated until it’s something to accomplish with Woman gaga! Your individual stuffs excellent. All the time deal with it up!
I liked up to you’ll receive performed right here. The caricature is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nevertheless, you command get bought an nervousness over that you want be delivering the following. unwell definitely come more in the past again since exactly the similar nearly a lot frequently inside case you defend this hike.
Hey very cool site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find so many useful info here in the post, we need work out more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
I have read a few good stuff here. Certainly worth bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much effort you put to create such a great informative web site.
of course like your website but you need to test the spelling on quite a few of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I find it very bothersome to tell the reality then again I’ll surely come back again.
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog so i came to “return the favor”.I’m trying to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
I’m still learning from you, while I’m trying to achieve my goals. I definitely liked reading everything that is written on your site.Keep the tips coming. I enjoyed it!
I see something genuinely interesting about your site so I saved to bookmarks.
Hello my family member! I want to say that this post is awesome, great written and include almost all vital infos. I’d like to see more posts like this .
Howdy very nice site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally?KI am satisfied to search out a lot of helpful info here in the post, we’d like work out more strategies on this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
I am no longer certain the place you’re getting your information, but good topic. I needs to spend a while finding out much more or working out more. Thank you for excellent info I was searching for this information for my mission.
This is really interesting, You’re a very professional blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to in quest of more of your excellent post. Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks!
You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
I am really impressed along with your writing talents and also with the layout in your blog. Is this a paid subject or did you modify it yourself? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it’s uncommon to peer a nice blog like this one today..
As I website possessor I believe the content material here is rattling magnificent , appreciate it for your hard work. You should keep it up forever! Best of luck.