In a televised statement on Friday, the leader of the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, congratulated the Palestinian people and the leadership of the Resistance on their steadfastness in the face of the ongoing Israeli war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Nasrallah also condoled Palestinians for the death of hunger-striking prisoner Khader Hadnan, who died on February 5, following an 87-day hunger strike in an Israeli prison, in demand of his freedom.
“The Israeli enemy is the one who started the aggression in this round by assassinating the leadership of Al-Quds Brigades and seven women and children,” Nasrallah said.
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The Lebanese Resistance leader also said that right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu is aiming, through this aggression, to deal with the chaos in his governmental coalition, and to improve his popular standing.”
“The Occupation aims to hit the leadership’s infrastructure of Al-Quds Brigades and destroy its rocket capabilities. It supposes that this aggression will weaken the leadership of the Islamic Jihad and restore its ‘deterrence’ in Gaza.”
Nasrallah continued:
“The leadership of the Islamic Jihad has dealt (with the matter) in a wise and collected way following the assassination of the Al-Quds Brigades leader, and has coordinated with Al-Qassam Brigades (of the Hamas Resistance movement) so that their position is unified.”
“The real address of the response of the Resistance in Gaza is the Joint Operation Room of all Resistance groups,” Nasrallah said, adding: “The unity of the Palestinian position as expressed in the Resistance groups has denied the (Israeli) occupation (the opportunity) to achieve its objectives.”
“The Resistance group (meaning the Islamic Jihad) has the immense capabilities to rebuild the infrastructure of its political and military leadership quickly. And Al-Quds Brigades’ ability to rebuild its leadership came as a surprise to the Occupation.”
“The fact that the (Resistance) rockets have reached south of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem has confused the Occupation. Netanyahu cannot lie to Israeli society now by saying that deterrence has been restored. The position of the Resistance in Gaza is unified as it has defeated the enemy’s (main) objective of restoring deterrence.”
Regarding the larger meaning of the current Israeli war on Gaza, Nasrallah also said that “The Gaza battle is important because its impact will not only be confined to Gaza but will affect the entire region. We are in constant communication with the leadership in Gaza and we will not hesitate to provide any assistance at any time, as imposed on us by our sense of responsibility” towards Palestine.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
