Hezbollah chief urges Saudi Arabia to unite against Israeli aggression

Naim Qassem says Saudi Arabia should unfastened a ‘new page’ successful relations arsenic unit connected the Lebanese radical ‘only benefits Israel’.

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem has appealed to Saudi Arabia to mend relations with the Lebanese equipped radical and physique a communal beforehand against Israel.

The remarks by the Hezbollah main connected Friday travel arsenic Israel has launched much attacks connected the southbound of Lebanon.

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Qassem urged Saudi Arabia to unfastened a “new page” with Hezbollah, based connected 3 principles: dialog to resoluteness disputes and code concerns, designation that Israel – and not “the resistance” – is the enemy, and “freezing of past disagreements”.

He stressed that the resistance’s weapons are aimed solely astatine Israel, “not Lebanon, not Saudi Arabia, and not immoderate different spot oregon enactment successful the world”.

Qassem warned that unit connected the absorption lone benefits Israel, and that if it were eliminated, “the crook volition travel for the different states”.

Tensions betwixt Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah person existed for years, and are portion of the broader, years-long rivalry betwixt Riyadh and Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by Saudi Arabia, labelled Hezbollah a “terrorist” organisation successful 2016, citing its engagement successful the Syrian civilian warfare connected now-deposed person Bashar al-Assad’s broadside and its backing of Yemen’s Houthis.

‘Genocide became solution’

Qassem described Israel arsenic a assemblage outpost “backed archetypal by Britain and present by the United States”, and accused it of reaching “the tallness of barbarity”, committing crimes with afloat US enactment and successful disregard of planetary law.

Qassem said “soft war, sanctions, and the Abraham Accords” each failed to present the speedy and decisive triumph the US and Israel sought, “and so, for them, genocide became the solution”.

He added that Israel’s September 9 onslaught connected Qatar marked a turning point, and that “what comes aft the onslaught connected Qatar is antithetic from what came before”.

“When the US openly declares that it acts successful Israel’s interest, however tin we spot immoderate American oregon non-American proposal, oregon judge to marque concession aft concession?” helium added.

The US has been pushing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah nether the presumption of a ceasefire statement brokered successful November 2024.

Qassem said the radical is unfastened to dialog “from a presumption of strength”, adding that its committedness to defy Israeli concern is “unshakable” and aimed astatine expelling Israeli forces and liberating land.

Qassem’s entreaty to Saudi Arabia comes 2 days aft Riyadh and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a communal defence pact successful airy of the Israeli onslaught connected Qatar.

One killed successful Israeli attack

Separately connected Friday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said that 1 idiosyncratic had been killed and 3 wounded successful an Israeli drone onslaught connected a car successful the municipality of Tebnin successful confederate Lebanon. The Israeli service has yet to remark connected the incident.

The onslaught connected Tebnin came a time aft Israel targeted and bombed respective towns successful the southbound and warned residents to evacuate.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of “intimidation and aggressions” committed successful defiance of past year’s ceasefire and the internationally backed mechanics to show it.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to onslaught confederate Lebanon connected an astir regular basis.

Under the presumption of the deal, Hezbollah is expected to disarm and determination northbound of the Litani River, portion Israel is expected to retreat afloat from Lebanese territory.

However, it remains, occupying astatine slightest 5 points successful confederate Lebanon.