CAIRO: Hezbollah’s strike on Israel in retaliation for to the killing of the movement’s armed wing Fuad Skukr has been postponed due to s...
CAIRO: Hezbollah’s strike on Israel in retaliation for to the killing of the movement’s armed wing Fuad Skukr has been postponed due to several reasons, with the Gaza ceasefire talks being one of them, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said.
"The movement was ready to retaliate immediately after Fuad Shukr’s killing, but we understood that Israel and its ally, the United States, were getting prepared for our response back then and any haste in such circumstances would mean a defeat. Apart from that, we wanted to give the Gaza talks a chance," the Al Manar television channel quoted him as saying.
According to Nasrallah, it was not in Lebanon’s interests to delay with the retaliation but this delay had a "negative effect on Israel and its economy."
He noted that on Sunday, Hezbollah decided to act separately from its other allies, being guided by "its own considerations, which will be disclosed later." Other members of the so-called Axis of Resistance embracing Iran, radical Palestinian factions, and the Ansar Allah (the Houthis) Yemeni movement "will decide on how to respond to Israel independently," he stressed.
The situation in the Middle East escalated again on Sunday night when Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to prevent its potential missile attack on Israeli territories. However, Hezbollah said it had launched more than 320 missiles at Israel and called this attack an initial response to the killing of its armed wing commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Later, it said that stage one of its operation was over.
Hezbollah says it struck Israel’s Glilot military base near Tel Aviv
Hezbollah’s strike targeted Israel’s Glilot military base some 1.5 kilometers from Tel Aviv, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said.
"When we planned our retaliation, we decided that we will not target civilian facilities and civilian population but military targets near Tel Aviv and linked with the killing of [Hezbollah armed wing commander] Fuad Shukr. We decided it would be the Glilot base," the Al Manar television channel quoted him as saying.
According to Nasrallah, this base was chosen because it houses the so-called unit 8200 of the Israeli military intelligence, which is responsible "for organizing political killings."
He said that Hezbollah’s operation consisted of two stages: a simultaneous launch of more than 300 missiles first and the use of drones next. "As a result, we managed to distract [Israel’s] Iron Dome [air defense system] and several drones, according to our information, reached their goals, although the enemy is hushing this fact up," the Hezbollah’s leader said, adding that the movement did not use ballistic missiles during this attack but does not rule out their use in the future.
The situation in the Middle East escalated again on Sunday night when Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to prevent its potential missile attack on Israeli territories. However, Hezbollah said it had launched more than 320 missiles at Israel and called this attack an initial response to the killing of its armed wing commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Later, it said that stage one of its operation was over.
Hezbollah says it has retaliated to Israel for Shukr’s killing
Hezbollah has retaliated the killing of its armed wing commander Fuad Shukr, the movement’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said.
"The retaliation for Shukr’s killing was successful, as we planned. Those who were forces to flee their homes in the south of the country, may return home," the Al Manar television channel quoted him as saying.
He did not rule out however that if Hezbollah is not satisfied with the results of its operation and Israel’s reaction, it "reserves the right to respond to Israel once again."
The Hezbollah leader warned that his movement "will continue defending the Gaza Strip and its residents, as well as entire Palestine, regardless of circumstances and casualties." In his words, Sunday’s operation "was planned and carried out, despite the colossal pressure on Lebanon." According to Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s actions could be beneficial for the Palestinian side during the Gaza ceasefire talks and send a clear message to Israel and the United States that "any attempts to hush up those who support Gaza will fail, especially in Lebanon."
The situation in the Middle East escalated again on Sunday night when Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to prevent its potential missile attack on Israeli territories. However, Hezbollah said it had launched more than 320 missiles at Israel and called this attack an initial response to the killing of its armed wing commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut. Later, it said that stage one of its operation was over.
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