Leader of Lebanese Resistance Warns Israel Against Waging All-Out War on Lebanon
The following report is taken from the coverage by the Lebanese news channel Al Manar of the speech delivered by Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, Secretary General of the Lebanese political organization and resistance movement Hezbollah on January 3.
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah condemned Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in the Beirut suburb of Dahieh on January 2. He warned Israel against launching an all-out war on Lebanon, affirming that Hezbollah would return the fight in kind. The speech was originally scheduled to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the U.S. assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani.
When Hezbollah decided to join the war on October 8, it did so to support the Palestinian people and resistance in face of the Zionist war on Gaza, Nasrallah stated. He said that up to this point, the operations carried out by Hezbollah are regulated in a way that abides by Lebanese national interests, but such limits will disappear if Israel decides to wage an all-out war. Hezbollah fighters are ready to confront all the military choices of the enemy, he added.
He went on to state that after the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation the Israelis and all their allies sought to use this as a pretext to wage an all-out war on Lebanon and the West Bank in addition to Gaza. However, Hezbollah's military readiness and preemptive actions prevented the implementation of this scheme, Nasrallah said.
He noted that there was discussion in the Israeli cabinet of plans to attack Lebanon, adding that one of the generals warned the political command against any involvement in an open war with Hezbollah to avoid the massive destruction of Gush Dan area (Tel Aviv and its surroundings), where three-quarters of Israelis live.
Nasrallah reiterated, "War with Hezbollah will be very costly. Hezbollah is presently taking Lebanese interests and conditions into consideration, but the same interests will surpass all limits [on military action] if an all-out war is launched on Lebanon."
Nasrallah pointed out that the assassination of Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in the southern suburb of Beirut is an aggression on Hamas command and Dahieh simultaneously. This attack on Dahieh, being the first since the 2006 war, is very dangerous, adding that all the Israeli indirect reassurances in this regard are rejected.
He reiterated Hezbollah's vow that this crime will not go unanswered and offered condolences on the martyrdom of al-Arouri, stressing that his life was one full of struggle and resistance.
Outcomes of Al-Aqsa Flood Operation
The Hezbollah leader indicated that there were schemes, before Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, to stir sedition among the Palestinian factions in order to expel all the Palestinians from the Strip.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlined the importance of the Yemeni navy's role to block the passage of the Israeli-affiliated ships through the Red Sea.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that so far there have been numerous outcomes from the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, concentrating on the major losses inflicted upon the Israeli enemy and mentioning the following:
The first outcome is revitalizing the Palestinian cause after it was about to be thrown into oblivion and solutions, such as the two-state solution, imposed.
The second outcome is Israel's failed bet that the Palestinian people and resistance are exhausted. The new generation has proven to be as committed to the Palestinian cause as the former ones.
The third outcome is the rise of the popular support for the resistance groups in Palestine despite the massacres and the attempt to blame the resistance for the Zionist crimes.
The fourth outcome is the fall of Israel's moral standing and image before the international community. During the last two decades, certain Arab media outlets tried to ameliorate the Zionist image, but the war on Gaza has shown Israel's criminality. He noted that U.S. surveys of youth in the U.S. show that 50 per cent of them think that Israel must be eradicated and the Palestinian people must regain their rights.
The fifth outcome is negating the path of normalization between some Arab regimes and the Zionist occupiers.
The sixth outcome is the appearance of the Israeli entity as the main violator of the international laws. Israel has violated all the international laws, he noted.
The seventh outcome is that the strategic deterrent power of Israel has been smashed. Hezbollah, the Palestinian and Iraqi resistance groups, and the Yemeni armed forces have proved that they are not deterred by the Zionist enemy and the United States.
The eighth outcome is overthrowing the information superiority of the Israeli enemy.
The ninth outcome is the Israeli failure to reach a swift victory.
The 10th outcome is the failure of the Israeli air force to settle the battle.
The 11th outcome is the eradication of the Israelis' trust in their command and army as well as the threat posed by the battle to the existence of the Israeli entity. The Al-Aqsa Flood Operation contributes mainly to the demise of the occupation entity. Hundreds of thousands of Zionists left occupied Palestine.
The 12th outcome is the eradication of the Israeli image of military capability and power which the Zionists use to try to lure some Arab regimes to sign agreements.
The 13th outcome is the military failure and the psychological repercussions of the war on the Israelis. Thousands of Israeli soldiers have been either killed or wounded on the Lebanon front, but the enemy does not acknowledge that. Some 300,000 Zionists have requested psychological treatment since October 7, 2023, according to Ynet. Hundreds of thousands of Zionists were displaced from the north of occupied Palestine.
The 14th outcome is the Israeli failure to achieve any of its goals in the war.
The 15th outcome is the deepening internal strife among the Israelis.
The 16th outcome is smashing the image the U.S. claims for itself and showing that it is the main violator of international laws. It is the U.S. which is preventing a Gaza ceasefire.
The 17th outcome is the failure of the international organization to protect the civilians in Gaza. All the Lebanese must acknowledge that only power can protect them from the Israeli aggression.
Martyrdom of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis
The Hezbollah Secretary General reiterated condolences and felicitations on the January 3, 2020 martyrdom of Iranian Lieutenant General Soleimani, Hajj Al-Muhandis and their Iraqi companions. He also condemned the terrorist attack on the commemoration of Soleimani near his grave site in Kerman, Iran.
Soleimani's martyrdom terrified the enemies of Iran and other countries in the region more than his presence, and the attack on the visitors to his tomb is the proof, Nasrallah noted. His image, might and determination are present in all fields of resistance.
Nasrallah clarified that one of the main features of Soleimani's loyalty to the resistance was that he helped every resistance group to reach self-sufficiency. "Iraqi paramilitary and resistance fighters found Martyr Soleimani as the main supporter. U.S. occupation forces were expelled from Iraq in 2011, thanks to the Iraqi resistance supported by Martyr Soleimani."
Nasrallah affirmed that Soleimani contributed mainly to sustaining ties among the resistance groups in the entire region under the title of "Axis of Resistance." He noted that Soleimani was keen on sustaining communication among the resistance groups in order to coordinate the engagement with the Israeli enemy, adding that resistance groups in the region act according to their national conditions, despite the strategic agreement on identifying the enemies, friends and targets.
In this regard, Nasrallah stressed that some journalists and politicians fail to understand the nature of the relations between Iran and the resistance groups and among the resistance groups themselves.
"The Axis of resistance is made up of leaders who take their decisions independently, not servants who obey regulations blindly."
Nasrallah also offered condolences on the death of Hezbollah official Hajj Mohammad Yaghi and the martyrdom of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Sayyed Radhi Al-Moussawi in an Israeli attack on the Damascus countryside.
The Hezbollah General Secretary stated that he will deliver a speech on January 5, devoted mainly to the Lebanese front.
(www.almanar.com.lb)
This article was published in
Volume 54 Number 2 - January 5, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS54022.HTM
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