Nasrallah. 'Turkey needs our help'
Photo: AP
'Send additional ships'
Photo: AFP
Nasrallah: Excellent opportunity to end Gaza siege
In speech broadcast to thousands in Beirut, Hezbollah leader says more ships should be sent to Strip in bid to break blockade
Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah
on Friday praised pro-Palestinian activists sailing to Gaza, adding that "Israel's
recent attack
on the freedom sail provided an excellent opportunity to dismantle the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for the past three years."
According to the Hezbollah leader, "We must take advantage of the recent events in order to break the siege with additional ships. Turkey is resisting pressure and it needs our help."
In a speech broadcast to thousands of people on a huge screen in the Lebanese capital of Beirut during a solidarity event with the Gaza-bound sail, Nasrallah said that the Israeli attack on the sail "reopened the door to the Palestinian issue and turned it into an issue which wins the world's attention."
Threat from Ankara
Deputy Prime Minister Arinc says Ankara assessing security, economic deals with Israel, but adds 'to assume everything involving another country is stopped in an instant is not custom of our state'
Nasrallah went on to say that the IDF operation "provided further evidence to the Israeli enemy's barbaric and aggressive nature – a nature which has existed since this enemy was established and which is based on crimes and massacres.
"This is further evident that Israel fails to respect international law and its diplomatic ties, and considers itself above the law," he added.
"What happened is a huge event for our people against this occupying and robbing enemy. What happened shows that this enemy has contempt for everyone and doesn’t care about anyone. This is a message to all those who think peace and international relations will defend their people," the Shiite leader argued.
He added that "what happened in the Mediterranean is further proof that the current American administration is still fully committed to defending Israel and its crimes. It prevents its condemnation and shows weakness in light of the demands for an investigation, as it views what Israel has done as its natural right to defend itself."
Earlier this week, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal addressed the Gaza-bound sail as well, admitting that the siege on the Strip was making it difficult for his organization to arm itself.
In an interview to London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat, Mashaal said that "the resistance (meaning Hamas and the rest of the Gaza factions) has the full liberty to develop and arm itself despite our modest abilities, under the Gaza siege."
