Nasrallah Says Golan Attack Tells Israel Its Raids Won't Go Unpunished
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced Monday that Thursday's rocket attack on the occupied Golan Heights was a “message” that Israel can no longer bomb Syria without facing a response.
“For the first time ever, the occupation posts in occupied Golan were targeted with such a bombardment. Israel said that only 20 rockets were fired some of which were downed, but the truth is that 55 rockets some of which of heavy-caliber were fired at a number of military posts, creating huge explosions, which forced all residents in Golan and some in north Israel to scramble to bomb shelters in panic,” Nasrallah said in a televised address marking the second anniversary of the death in Syria of Hizbullah commander Mustafa Badreddine.
Israel has blamed Iran's Quds Force for the rocket attack, saying it retaliated by bombing "nearly all the Iranian infrastructure in Syria."
Commenting on Arab media reports that 23 Syrians and Iranians were killed in the strikes, Nasrallah slammed them as a disinformation campaign launched by Gulf media outlets, endorsing Syria's official announcement that only three Syrians were killed in the air raids.
“This is one form of the response to Israel's attacks on Syria. The message that the enemy received was resounding and we are following the Israeli media outlets. The message is that you are mistaken if you think that you can continue to kill and bomb as you please,” Nasrallah said.
“The other parties will respond at the appropriate time and place and with the appropriate method. You as an enemy can no longer continue to violate Syria's sovereignty and attack it without facing a response or punishment. This landmark rocket attack has launched a new phase,” Nasrallah added.
Noting that Israel “has stayed mum over its losses and the targeted locations,” Hizbullah's leader added that the Israelis had contacted U.N. forces in Syria to ask Damascus to end the round of hostilities.
He also revealed that Israel was warned via a foreign state that “the next response would be in the heart of occupied Palestine should any red lines be crossed” in Israel's retaliation to the Golan attack.
Nasrallah added: “Everyone must know that among the most important indications from this incident is that (Israel's) domestic front is not ready for war. The Israelis sought to cover up the events with lies. (Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor) Lieberman said that all Iranian bases in Syria were destroyed but this did not happen.”
Turning to Lebanon, Nasrallah said Hizbullah has obtained information that “hostile regional countries” are asking some Lebanese parties “not to rush the formation of the government.”
“They're asking them to plunge the country into a crisis and heeding these demands does not serve the national interest at all,” Nasrallah cautioned.
He also blasted Bahrain's foreign minister, calling him an "idiot" and a "traitor" for supporting Israel's "right" to respond to the barrage of rockets coming from Syria.
Nasrallah called the creation of Israel, which marks 70 years of its creation Monday, a "mark of shame" for humanity.
He said the pressure from Israel and the United States on Iran is not just because of its nuclear program, but is in essence because of its support to the Palestinians and other "resistance" groups. He urged the Palestinians not to accept any new U.S. peace plans.
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