Live
Audio Only
The leader of the Lebanese Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah, secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah accused Israeli occupation authorities Friday of bluffing, warning the state's leadership that any attack on Lebanon or Syria would be met with a furious united response from thousands of combatants from across the Arab and Muslim world. The remarks were made on the occasion of the 38th Al-Quds International Day, which honors the Palestinian resistance and the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) in Palestine, taking place on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
RELATED:
Hezbollah to Saudis: Flatter Trump All You Want, He Only Cares About Israel and Money
"The Israeli enemy should know that if it launches an attack on Syria or Lebanon, it's unknown whether the fighting will stay just between Lebanon and Israel, or Syria and Israel," Hassan Nasrallah said.
"I'm not saying countries would intervene directly – but it would open the door for hundreds of thousands of fighters from all around the Arab and Islamic world to participate in this fight – from Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan," he said.
Western analysts interpreted the message as one hinting that alleged “Iran-backed” Shia militias, including many who have been invited by the lawful Syrian government to defend the country from various Gulf Arab- and U.S.-backed extremists, would join any fight sparked by the Israelis and push back, possibly past the borders of the Israeli state.
Nasrallah also offered his salutations to the people of Palestine, who continue to suffer from blockades, electricity shortages and cutoffs, increased encroachment into its remaining land by illicit settlements, and “Judaization plots” aiming to usurp total control of contested holy sites such as the tombs of prophets and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and place them into the hands of Israeli forces and the country's religious authorities. Nasrallah cast the aggressive moves as an attempt to force Palestinian resistance factions to accept the occupation.
The Hezbollah leader also saluted regional allies in Iran and Syria, commenting on their major support for the region's resistance movements. He noted that Baghdad's refusal to “be part of the U.S.-Israeli scheme to abandon Palestine” compelled imperialist forces, primarily the U.S. and its regional partners, to mobilize the Islamic State group and affiliated Takfiri forces, to further destroy Iraq.
Nasrallah stressed that the Islamic State group was funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its operations were facilitated by the government of Turkey.
Commenting on the Saudi regime, the Hezbollah leader noted that now-crown prince and king-in-waiting Mohammad bin Salman had threatened to bring the long-seething proxy battle to Iran. Nasrallah noted, however, that the Saudi monarchy is far too weak to be able to launch a war.
RELATED:
Will New Saudi Crown Prince Usher in Open KSA-Israeli Alliance?
Shifting the subject to Yemen, Nasrallah noted that the increasingly brutal war on the Yemeni people, launched by the Saudis with the assistance of its junior Gulf Arab partners and the United States, has failed to break the “legendary steadfastness” of the people, who remain firm in their pro-Palestine stance.
“Despite all challenges of airstrikes, blockade, cholera, poverty and destruction, tens of thousands took to streets to voice solidarity with Palestine and Al-Quds,” he said.
“Yemen proved that it will never be part of a scheme to sell Palestine, neither for a throne, nor for Trump and it is still fighting,” he added, noting that Israeli jets were conducting airstrikes on the war-torn nation.
Deriding Israeli designs for the region, which the resistance leader said were pursued through its efforts to exacerbate proxy conflicts, Nasrallah quoted Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who had said that the Israelis have failed to win a war since 1967 and thus has “no intention to launch a war, neither in the summer and nor in the winter, neither in the north and nor in the south.”
“Palestine is in our conscience and the axis of resistance is getting stronger,” Nasrallah concluded.
Newsletter
