Sheikh Qassem: War on Lebanon will cause Exodus of Israeli settlers
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Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, issues a stern warning to "Israel" regarding the potential consequences of initiating a full-scale war against Lebanon
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Hezbollah Deputy Secretary Naim Qassem gives a speech during a rally on October 13, 2023. (AFP)
The Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, has warned "Israel" about the repercussions of launching a full-scale war on Lebanon, warning that such an escalation would force large numbers of illegal settlers to evacuate the northern part of the '48 occupied territories.
"Every day, we hear about Israeli threats to escalate their aggression in order to repatriate displaced people to their homes. We hereby address them: If you want to increase the number of displaced, you can wage a war. A new war with Hezbollah will not help repatriate displaced people; rather, it will only increase their number."
Sheikh Qassem assured that Hezbollah is prepared for a full-blown war with "Israel" and is not intimidated by the threats from Tel Aviv. He further emphasized that Hezbollah would respond decisively and remain engaged if a war were to be launched against them.
He also noted that Hezbollah’s retaliatory attacks on Israeli military targets in the northern occupied territories have met their objectives and warned, “Displaced Israeli settlers cannot return to the northern occupied territories until the war on Gaza winds down.”
The Hezbollah deputy chief further warned that if "Israel" continues its genocidal war on Gaza, it will face increasing problems, losses, and internal conflict. He emphasized that the occupying entity would not emerge victorious from this prolonged war of attrition.
Regarding Lebanon’s internal matters, Sheikh Qassem stated that the selection of a successor to former President Michel Aoun should not be affected by security developments along the borders with occupied Palestine, urging all parties to heed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for dialogue.
The big picture
The Lebanese Resistance has been engaged in a wide-scale military support campaign for Gaza, targeting Israeli occupation forces and assets across hundreds of operations since October 8, 2023.
The Resistance in Lebanon, as well as factions in Iraq and the Yemeni Armed Forces, have each launched their own military campaign in support of Gaza.
In the northern occupied territories, dozens of settlements were evacuated by authorities, while others remained under the constant threat of being targeted by the Resistance, usually in response to "Israel's" aggressions on Lebanese towns.
Hezbollah's operations in the northern front have become a cause of great concern for Israeli authorities who are struggling to return settlers to their settlements.
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