“Hezbollah” Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Sunday of pushing the region to war in Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
He called on the Jews, who migrated to Israel, to leave as “they will have no secure place in occupied Palestine.”
Nasrallah’s stances elevated the possibilities of a new war with Israel that observers believe would not touch “Hezbollah” alone, but would start from Syria to later spread to all of Lebanon.
Addressing “Hezbollah” followers on the last day of the Shi’ite commemoration of Ashoura in Beirut's southern suburbs, Nasrallah said: “Netanyahu, his government and the military leaderships do not have a correct assessment of where this war will lead if they ignite it, and they do not know how it would end.”
Earlier this year, Nasrallah said that a future Israeli war against Syria or Lebanon could draw thousands of fighters from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan, and could take place inside Israel.
Political analyst Qassem Qassir, who is close to Hezbollah, placed Nasrallah’s stances in the framework of deterrent statements. He also spoke about a number of studies that were prepared by Israel that Tel Aviv could wage a war against “Hezbollah” before its militants returned from Syria.
However, Hisham Jaber, a retired army general, who heads the Middle East Center for Studies and Political Research, ruled out any war between the two sides before 2020. He explained that internal and foreign conditions are not in “Hezbollah’s” favor to start a war against Israel, while Tel Aviv cannot endure the repercussions of any new war.
Jaber said Nasrallah’s comments were part of a “psychological war.”
Meanwhile, Qassir told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Any war launched by Netanyahu would aim to win the battle and not to deter it, therefore Israel plans to fiercely hit ‘Hezbollah’.”
He added that all signs indicate that any future war would not be limited to Lebanon or be directed only against “Hezbollah”, similar to what happened in 2006, but it would start in Syria and stretch across Lebanon.
