Qassem denied reports of the elite ‘Radwan Forces’ withdrawing from the border with Israel, stressing that Hezbollah has used “a small portion of its capabilities”.
If Israel wants an all-out war, the Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah is ready for it, Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of the group, told Al-Jazeera on Tuesday.
“Our decision is not to expand the war, but we will fight it if it is imposed on us,” Qassem said.
“Any Israeli expansion of the war on Lebanon will be met with devastation, destruction, and displacement in Israel,” the top Hezbollah official vowed.
Qassem denied reports of the elite ‘Radwan Forces’ withdrawing from the border with Israel, stressing that Hezbollah has used “a small portion of its capabilities, in proportion to the nature of the battle.”
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted with missiles a deployment of Israeli soldiers in Horsh Matawa.
📹 According to Israeli media, an Israeli military site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms was directly hit by the resistance. pic.twitter.com/CzdNcZx0AY
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) June 4, 2024
Qassem also talked about a possible ceasefire in Gaza.
“Biden’s offer for calm lacks objectivity and is part of his internal American electoral proposition,” he said, in reference to the proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden last Friday.
Northern Israel Ablaze
Israeli firefighting teams continued on Tuesday to battle massive fires, sparked by rockets fired from southern Lebanon.
The fires engulfed several settlements and military sites in Upper Galilee and occupied Golan Heights, forcing evacuation.
The Israeli army reported that its forces were able to control the hotspots of fire, but the situation remained precarious, with fires still burning in the vicinity of several settlements, including Kiryat Shmona, where flames had reached some neighborhoods.
Northern Israel Ablaze – Rockets Fired from Lebanon Spark Massive Fires
The spread of fires required the intervention of a large number of fire brigades and army and police forces, with many residents evacuated from Kiryat Shmona and other settlements. The Israeli army confirmed that six reserve soldiers were injured due to smoke inhalation.
According to Al-Jazeera, the Sefad Hospital, however, confirmed it received at least 16 people injured in the Kiryat Shmona fires, including seven soldiers.
Escalating Tensions
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.
It attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.
Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.
Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.
(PC, AJA)
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