Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: Reuters
'Resistance forced half a million Israelis to run for shelter'
Hezbollah Chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah lauds Gaza terror groups' fire on south; says recent escalation shows Palestinian's tenacity in fight against Israel
Hezbollah Chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah commented Thursday on the escalating tensions between Israel and the Gaza terror groups and said that "it has two sides: The unfortunate one, of Palestinian fatalities; and the exhilarating one – the Palestinian factions tenacity and their response to the Israeli fire."
Addressing masses in Beirut in a televised speech Nasrallah said: "Members of the factions were not in hiding. We saw their resistance, steadfastness and ability.
Related stories:
- Op-Ed: Hezbollah is in trouble
- 'Hezbollah's powerbase in w. Africa growing'
Hezbollah: Israel can't fight Iran alone
"The resistance managed to make half a million Israelis run for shelter," he boasted.
The Shiite terror group's leader also lamented what he called the Arab media portrayal of the events, which suggested that "the Palestinian warriors were responsible for the recent events in Gaza."
He stressed that such reports "were a lie. What happened is that there was a lull and the Israelis provoked an escalation by striking from the air… that was followed by (the Palestinian) response."
Arab media that portrayed events in any other manner, he added, "is trying to foster a close relationship with Israel."
Nasrallah further denied reports suggesting that the recent escalation was a prelude to a military campaign in Iran, as suggested by some in the Arab media.
"There are some who said that the confrontation in Gaza followed a decision made about Iran, and other who said that the goal was to divert the spotlight from Syria. That is wrong and untrue… the war in Palestine and Gaza has been going on since Iran was rule by a shah who was an ally of Israel."
Addressing the situation in Syria and the possibility that Hezbollah will fall should Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime come to an end, Nasrallah said: "I dare anyone to try and disarm Hezbollah."
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
