Berri 'worried' about possible conflagration, says Lebanon at 'sensitive stage'
Parliament Speaker and head of Hezbollah-allied Amal movement Nabih Berri is worried about a war conflagration, he told Russian state-controlled international news television RT.
"This month is crucial, we are in a sensitive and delicate stage," Berri told RT in an interview Monday, adding that the situation is "unsettling."
"I am very worried that things start to spiral out of control," Berri said.
Last week, the Israeli army said it has "approved and validated" plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although the decision to launch such an operation would have to come from the country's political leadership.
Hezbollah has released surveillance drone videos showing sites in Israel with the words "Whoever thinks of war against us will regret it." And the group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned of a fight "without limits" if Israel does.
"In case of a ground invasion, we will fight in the front line ahead of Hezbollah," Berri vowed.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein called last week for an "urgent" de-escalation of cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. He said it's in everyone's interest to resolve the conflict quickly and diplomatically.
Hochstein met with Berri in Beirut, a day after holding talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We were awaiting responses from Hochstein after he returned from Israel, but we didn't get any," Berri told RT. "It brings concern about the American initiative for de-escalation in Lebanon."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Israel during a Monday meeting with its defense minister Yoav Gallant to avoid further escalation in Lebanon. Blinken called for "a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes."
The United States and the international community, lobbying for calm and hopeful for a diplomatic solution, have not been successful so far and time could be expiring.
The violence has worsened since early June, accompanied by increasingly heated rhetoric. Both sides have prevented the tit-for-tat attacks from escalating into a full-blown war. The question is whether this fragile containment can hold in the future.
Source: Naharnet
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/306138 |