Nasrallah warns attack on Jerusalem al-Quds means regional war, Israel’s destruction

The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has warned Israel that any aggression on holy sites in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds would lead to a regional war and destruction of the Tel Aviv regime.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech on Tuesday, in his first address after the victory of Palestinian resistance groups in their fight against Israel during the regime’s latest war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"Gaza surprised both friends and foes, to be honest," Nasrallah said. "And so, Israel misjudged the impact of its moves until matters reached a point when resistance in Gaza would have to carry out its threats."

Hailing the “steadfastness” of Palestinian resistance groups, Nasrallah said Israeli officials and military must reconsider their assessments based on what happened in the Gaza Strip and beware of the consequences of their aggression.

"What Gaza did was a qualitative historical step in the history of the conflict with the Israeli enemy, and it should be highly valued. The people of Gaza and the resistance were in a position to defend and sacrifice themselves for Jerusalem al-Quds, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the sanctities of the nation," the Hezbollah chief underlined.

"You must know that harming Jerusalem, al-Aqsa Mosque, and the nation's sanctities is different from any other aggression you carry out," Nasrallah warned the Israeli regime. “Harming the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites will not stop at the borders of the Gaza resistance, and will lead to a regional war and Israel’s destruction.”

"When the Muslim and Christian holy sites face a serious danger, there is no meaning for red lines or artificial ones. All the resistance movements can't sit back and watch if holy sites are in danger," he said, adding, “The whole world felt, in the latest battle, that there is one Palestinian nation moving in one direction towards one goal."

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Gaza resistance scrapped normalization deals

The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement also said the ‘Operation Sword of al-Quds’ by Palestinian resistance groups dealt a severe blow to normalization agreements with the occupying regime of Israel as well as the so-called deal of the century.

“After the battle in Gaza, we can clearly say that the deal of the century collapsed and vanished, and among its results is the restoration of the single soul to the Palestinian people inside occupied Palestine, and re-showing the true ugly face of Israel by killing the innocent and massacres and as an apartheid regime,” Nasrallah stated.

He emphasized that "the demise of the Israeli regime has become closer and the issue is only a matter of time."

Israel launched a bloody bombing campaign on Gaza on May 10 after harassment of Palestinians in Jerusalem al-Quds and attempts to steal their lands in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of the city.

The occupying regime announced a unilateral ceasefire on Friday, which was accepted by the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza with Egyptian mediation.

The Israeli airstrikes killed at least 253 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, and wounded 1948 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

During the fighting, Gaza-based resistance factions fired rockets into the occupied territories in response to the Israeli bloodshed, killing 12 people.

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Hezbollah to annually celebrate two victories in May

Nasrallah’s speech on Tuesday also coincided with the 21st Liberation Anniversary of Southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation.

“From now on, we will celebrate the anniversary of two great victories in May each year,” Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief said. “Firstly, the anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Lebanon in 2000 and, secondly, the victory of Palestinian resistance movement in Gaza in May 2021.”

"The victory of 2000 was made by the Lebanese people and the resistance, and it is the result of sacrifices by national movements and parties,” he said. “We always emphasize that the liberation which was accomplished on May 25 in Lebanon is not a product of the sacrifices of one person or one party, but it is the result of many years of resistance."

In May 2000, Israel was forced by Hezbollah to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending nearly two decades of occupation of the country's south.

Hezbollah was established following the 1982 Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. 

Since then, the movement has grown into a powerful military force, dealing repeated blows to the Israeli military, including during a 33-day war in July 2006.

Israel warned of miscalculation; cabinet formation to solve Lebanon crisis

Elsewhere in his televised address, Nasrallah warned Tel Aviv of any hostile actions against Beirut and said the only solution to Lebanon's crisis was the formation of a viable cabinet.

The Hezbollah chief warned Israel against “any miscalculations towards Lebanon” just like what transpired in the Gaza Strip and said, “The resistance in Lebanon is in a strong position even based on its official position.”

Nasrallah went on to say that "the key to everything that is happening in Lebanon is the formation of a new government, and the problem of forming the Lebanese government is a purely internal problem."

Prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri has been at loggerheads for months with President Michel Aoun over cabinet positions.

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There was no agreement on a new Lebanese government after a meeting on Monday between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri.

Hariri was tasked with forming a government for a fourth time last October, one year after he resigned as prime minister amid mass protests. But he has failed to form a government.

Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lebanon is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades as prices are skyrocketing and more than half of the population is now living below the poverty line.

Since 2019 the financial crisis has slashed almost 90 percent of the value of the Lebanese currency and raised the risk of widespread hunger.

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