Source: Reuters
The official website of the Kataeb Party leader
Security & Justice
Four Italian Soldiers Hurt in UNIFIL Base Attack, Hezbollah Suspected
Four Italian soldiers were lightly injured after two rockets exploded at a UNIFIL peacekeeping force base in southern Lebanon, the Rome government said on Friday, expressing outrage at the incident.
Friday, November 22, 2024
UN Reports Heavy Clashes Between Israeli Troops and Hezbollah in South Lebanon
Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers.
Friday, November 22, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon's Economy—Not Battlefield—May Have the Final Word
Time and again during this most recent war in Lebanon, we hear the phrase, “The battlefield has the final word”. It has become the sole and wholly unsatisfactory refrain of Hezbollah and the so-called 'Axis of Resistance'.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Flying Above the Bombs, a Lebanese Airline Becomes an Unlikely National Hero
It used to be like almost any other national carrier, fielding gripes about flight delays, ticket prices and bad food.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Sports
Israel Face France in Paris Football Match Under Tight Security
Israel face France in a Nations League football match in Paris on Thursday surrounded by a huge security operation to prevent a repetition of the attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam last week.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Alcaraz Beats Rublev to Open ATP Finals Account
Carlos Alcaraz opened his account at the ATP Finals on Wednesday with an entertaining 6-3, 7-6 (10/8) win over Andrey Rublev which boosted his hopes of reaching the semifinals.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Tuesday 4 June 2024 19:06:24
Hezbollah Won't Widen War But Will Fight If Needed, Deputy Head Tells Al Jazeera
Lebanon's Hezbollah movement is not seeking to widen its conflict with Israel but is ready to fight any war imposed on it, its deputy leader was quoted as saying on Tuesday, as hostilities across the Lebanese-Israeli border remained intense.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months in parallel with the Gaza war, raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.
The hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have been their worst since they waged war in 2006, and tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes.
Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem told broadcaster Al Jazeera that the group's decision was not to "widen the war" but that it would fight one if it was imposed on it, according to a newsflash run before the interview was screened.
Israel's war cabinet was due to meet later on Tuesday mainly to discuss the northern front, an Israeli official said.
Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said the fighting in the area was "not a sustainable reality", adding that Israel was committed to ensuring the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis evacuated from the north.
"It is up to Hezbollah to decide if this can be accomplished by diplomatic means or by force," he said. "We are defending this country and no one should be surprised by our response."
Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden at the heart of diplomatic efforts seeking de-escalation, said last week a land border agreement between Israel and Lebanon implemented in phases could dampen the conflict.
Israel has gone to war numerous times in Lebanon.
"WE MUST... DESTROY THEM"
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir both urged more military action.
"There cannot be peace in Lebanon while our land is hit and people here are evacuated,"
Ben-Gvir said following a tour in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona in a video statement shared on X. "They're setting fires here, we must burn all of Hezbollah's strongholds, destroy them. War!"
Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are members of Israel's security cabinet but not of the war cabinet.
The violence, which has oscillated for months, escalated in recent days. Hezbollah announced on Tuesday it had launched a squadron of one-way attack drones at an Israeli military barracks for a second consecutive day, calling it a response to a deadly Israeli attack in Naqoura, Lebanon.
Sirens sounded in northern Israel, where rockets fired from Lebanon set off wildfires on Monday.
The Israeli military said a "suspicious aerial target" that crossed from Lebanon fell in the Mount Hermon area, with no injuries reported.
Israeli warplanes struck a Hezbollah member in Naqoura, as well as two other locations in southern Lebanon. Israeli artillery struck five locations in the south, the Israeli military said.
Israeli strikes have killed some 300 members of Hezbollah since Oct. 7, and around 80 civilians. Attacks from Lebanon on Israel have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, the Israeli military says.
On Monday, Hezbollah said it launched a squadron of drones against an Israeli target in response to Israel's killing of a Hezbollah member. While Hezbollah has used drones in the conflict, it marked the first time it had declared launching a squadron of them.