Nasrallah: Response to Dahieh attack will come, talks only after Gaza war

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday stressed that his group’s response to Israel’s airstrike that killed Hamas deputy head Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahieh) “will undoubtedly come.”

“Lebanon is before a chance, after the aggression against Gaza stops, to liberate what’s left of its land -- from the B-1 point to the rest of the Shebaa Farms to every inch of our land,” Nasrallah said in a televised address commemorating late Hezbollah official Mohammad Yaghi.

“We are before a real chance to establish an equation that would prevent the enemy from violating our country’s sovereignty … but any talks, negotiations or dialogue will only take place or achieve a result after halting the aggression against Gaza,” Nasrallah added.

Commenting on Israel’s assassination of Arouri in the heart of Beirut’s southern suburbs, Nasrallah said Hezbollah cannot remain silent over this “major and dangerous violation.”

“The killing of Sheikh Saleh -- a dear friend with whom I had a high level of friendship, appreciation and understanding -- will certainly not be without a response or punishment … The battlefield will respond and this response will undoubtedly come, seeing as we cannot remain silent over such a dangerous violation, because this would mean that entire Lebanon and its cities and personalities would be exposed,” Nasrallah added.

“The detriments from not responding to this violation are bigger than any risks that might come from this response, that’s why the decision is for the battlefield,” Hezbollah’s leader explained.