The second man in the hierarchy of “Hezbollah”, Sheikh Naim Qassem, stated that the Lebanese Islamist movement is entering a “new phase” in the conflict that has been waged against Israel since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, reported France Press.
„We have entered a new phase“ - to settle “open scores”, he said at the funeral of Ibrahim Akil, a top military commander killed on Friday in an Israeli strike.
„Threats will not stop us: we are ready for any military scenario” against Israel, Kassem added in his speech, which was the first official comment by an official representative of the movement since the Israeli attack.
According to data from the Lebanese authorities, at least 16 members of “Hezbollah” died in the strike, and a total of 45 people, including civilians, were killed in it.
Qassem said today's attacks by his movement on Israeli weapons production facilities and an air base in northern Israel were part of settling “open scores”.
He reiterated that only a ceasefire in Gaza would end attacks by the pro-Iranian movement allied with the Palestinian group "Hamas", calling the “Israeli military solution” as a “dilemma” for Israel and the inhabitants of its northern part.
In recent days, the tension between Israel and "Hezbollah" increased significantly, with the two exchanging intense fire over the weekend, raising fears of a full-scale war, according to AFP.