Hezbollah leader Naim Qawazem made his first direct threat to Israel in months in a televised speech on Tuesday, saying missiles would fall on it if it continued its full-scale war against Lebanon, Reuters reported.
His comments came as Lebanon’s cabinet met to discuss the fate of Hezbollah’s arsenal, after Washington pressured Lebanese officials to commit to disarming the Iran-backed group and amid fears that Israel could step up attacks if they did not.
Qawazem said that if Israel launched a “major aggression” against Lebanon, Hezbollah, the Lebanese army and the Lebanese people would defend themselves.
“This defense will result in missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built for eight months will collapse within an hour,” he said.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November ended months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. The war killed much of Hezbollah’s leadership, including Qassem’s predecessor, Zayed Hassan Nasrallah, and destroyed much of its arsenal.
Qawazem said 5,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed and 13,000 wounded in the war, the first official figure the group has released. But he added that the organization remained in good shape, with fighters ready to make “the most brutal sacrifices” if necessary.
Washington and Beirut have been negotiating since June over a U.S. plan to completely disarm Hezbollah in exchange for an end to Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of Israeli troops still occupying five sites in southern Lebanon, and funds to rebuild areas devastated by Israeli bombing during the war.
With little progress on disarmament, Washington’s patience began to wear thin and it pressed Lebanese ministers to quickly make a public pledge so that negotiations could resume.
Qassem opposed the terms, saying Israel must fully implement the ceasefire by ending its military activities in Lebanon before any further discussion.
