Tag: Hezbollah

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Israel Can’t Erase Hamas: Hezbollah

Nasrallah said that Israel had failed to achieve its “biggest goal” — to eliminate Hamas at the beginning of the war…reports Asian Lite News

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said that Israel will not be able to eliminate Hamas even if it enters Rafah, a local media outlet reported.

“You have failed to achieve any of the war’s targets; even the Rafah operation will not offer you an image of victory. You will not be able to get rid of Hamas or the resistance,” Nasrallah said on Wednesday in a televised speech on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, showing solidarity with Hamas, the Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction.

Nasrallah said that Israel had failed to achieve its “biggest goal” — to eliminate Hamas at the beginning of the war. After nearly six months of war, Israelis are negotiating with Hamas through mediation, local TV channel al-Manar reported.

He claimed that Hamas is negotiating on behalf of all Palestinian factions, and it aims to reach a halt to the Israeli aggression against Gaza and not only a ceasefire.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since October 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

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Hezbollah Missile Attack Kills Indian Worker in Israel

The deceased was identified as Nibin Maxwell, a 31-year-old resident of Vady in Kerala’s Kollam….reports Asian Lite news

One Indian worker was killed, and two others injured in a missile attack by the Hezbollah militant group in Margaliot in Israel. This is the first reported death of an Indian near Israel’s border with Lebanon in several years.

The attack took place on Monday evening. The deceased was identified as Nibin Maxwell, a 31-year-old resident of Vady in Kerala’s Kollam. Seven others were grievously injured in the rocket attack.

Two of the injured hail from Kerala and were identified as Joseph George and Paul Melvin.

Nibin Maxwell’s father told IANS that he had left for Israel in January and that his elder brother Nivin was also working there.

He said that the family was informed about the death around Monday midnight. Kerala Police sources when contacted told IANS that the body was expected to reach Kerala in four days.

Maxwell is survived by his wife, who is seven months pregnant and a five-year-old daughter.

The Embassy of Israel in India mourned the death and said, “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of one Indian national and the injury of two others due to a cowardly terror attack launched by Shia Terror organization Hezbollah, on peaceful agriculture workers who were cultivating an orchard at the northern village of Margaliot yesterday early afternoon.”

The statement further said, “Our prayers and thoughts naturally go to the families of the bereaved and those of the injured. Israeli Medical institutions are completely at the service of the injured who are being treated by our very best medical staff. Israel regards equally all nationals, Israeli or foreign, who are injured or killed due to terrorism. We will be there to support the families and offer them assistance.“

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, around 18,000 Indians continue to reside in Israel despite the advisory issued in October that had prompted India to undertake the evacuation of several batches of Indians. After some days the evacuation was paused.

Israel has suspended work permits for thousands of Palestinians because of the ongoing conflict leading to vacancies in a large number of positions. India and Israel had signed an agreement in May 2023 for 42,000 Indian workers to be absorbed into the Israeli economy.

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Tensions Rise as Hezbollah Shoots Down Israeli Drone

According to the anonymous source, the Israeli military conducted three raids on Monday in two border towns in southern Lebanon, and bombed eight towns and villages in the eastern and central regions with around 30 shells…reports Asian Lite News

Hezbollah claimed on Monday that it had shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile, and the drone was seen falling in flames in Iqlim al Tuffah, located more than 20 km away from the border between Lebanon and Israel.

The Israeli Hermes 450 drone was shot down by the Islamic Resistance’s air defence unit, Hezbollah said, adding that “its fighters will continue to confront the enemy and prevent them from achieving their aggressive goals,” Xinhua news agency reported.

A Lebanese military source informed Xinhua news agency that three Israeli drones were spotted in the airspace near the southern Lebanon border area during early Monday morning, and two of the drones breached the border into southern Lebanon, travelling a distance of 15 to 20 km.

According to the anonymous source, the Israeli military conducted three raids on Monday in two border towns in southern Lebanon, and bombed eight towns and villages in the eastern and central regions with around 30 shells.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since October 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

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Hezbollah Vows Attacks Until Gaza War Ends

Nasrallah noted that the group’s military front in southern Lebanon is aimed at weakening the Israeli enemy until it is convinced that it must stop its aggression in Gaza….reports Asian Lite News

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said that the Lebanese armed group will not stop its attacks in border regions with Israel until the latter’s war on Gaza ends.

Nasrallah in a speech to commemorate Hezbollah fighters broadcasted by local TV channel al-Manar on Tuesday said that the group will “not stop the border offensive before the end of the Zionist war on Gaza”, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nasrallah noted that the group’s military front in southern Lebanon is aimed at weakening the Israeli enemy until it is convinced that it must stop its aggression in Gaza.

“This front will only stop when the aggression against Gaza stops within an agreement with the Palestinian resistance,” he said.

Nasrallah added that Hezbollah also has a national duty to protect Lebanon from “Israeli aggression,” and would continue to fight back if Israel’s attacks go on.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since October 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 271 people on the Lebanese side, including 190 Hezbollah members and 44 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.

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Israel and US Discuss Diplomatic Solutions to Ease Hezbollah Crisis

The targets included a rocket launch position, an observation post, and other infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese military group…reports Asian Lite News

Visiting US special envoy Amos Hochstein and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant discussed the escalating tensions between the Jewish nation and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, according to the Defence Ministry here.

In a statement, the Ministry said that Hochstein, who arrived in Israel earlier on Thursday, discussed the possibility of a diplomatic understanding with Hezbollah that would help displaced people from northern Israel to return to their homes.

Following the meeting, Gallant said in a post on X they “discussed the security conditions that would allow the return of the residents of the north, and I emphasised to envoy Hochstein our commitment to changing the security situation at the border”.

“We prefer to do this through a political solution – but the window of time for this is short,” he added.

A statement released by Israel’s Government Press Office said Hochstein was also briefed on the security situation on Israel’s northern border and the conditions required by the defence establishment to facilitate over 80,000 displaced Israelis to return home.

The US envoy’s visit came as Washington is intensifying efforts to defuse th etensions between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in the wake of the killing of Hamas’s deputy politburo chief Saleh Al-Arouri on Tuesday in Lebanon.

Al-Arouri and six of his aides were killed in an alleged Israeli strike that targeted a Hamas officein the southern suburb of Beirut.

Even as Israel has not officially taken responsibility for the killing, both Hamas and Hezbollah have blamed the Jewish nation for carrying out the attack.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the army on Thursday continued to carry out airstrikes on several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.

The targets included a rocket launch position, an observation post, and other infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese military group.

Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that in the last three to four weeks, the IDF has started to attack Hezbollah “more aggressively and broadly”.

The number of Hezbollah militants killed in the ongoing skirmishes with the Israeli army since the October 2023 Hamas attack has increased to 151.

According to the militant group, most of its members were killed in Lebanon but a few in Syria as well.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since October 8, 2023 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

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Israeli Defence Minister Warns of Limited Time for Diplomatic Solution with Hezbollah

The targets included a rocket launch position, an observation post, and other infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese military group…reports Asian Lite News

 Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that the window of time for a diplomatic solution with Hezbollah is short.

Gallant made the remarks on Thursday in Tel Aviv when meeting with visiting US Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein, who arrived in Israel earlier on the day in a bid to lower roiling tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group, Xinhua news agency reported.

A statement released by Israel’s Government Press Office said the US envoy, during the meeting with Gallant and other senior military officials, was briefed on the security situation on Israel’s northern border and the conditions required by the defence establishment to facilitate over 80,000 displaced Israelis to return home.

According to statements released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Thursday, the army continued to carry out airstrikes on several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon. The targets included a rocket launch position, an observation post, and other infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese military group.

Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that in the last three to four weeks, the IDF has started to attack Hezbollah “more aggressively and broadly.”

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Hezbollah Leader Warns of Unrestrained Attacks on Israel

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since Oct. 8 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel..reports Asian Lite News

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned to attack Israel “without restraint” if it expands attacks against Lebanon.

Nasrallah made the remarks on Wednesday night in a televised speech to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the assassination of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack on January 3, 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Nasrallah said that the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’ deputy chief, and other Hamas officials in Beirut a day earlier was “a dangerous crime.”

He said the current confrontation on Lebanon’s southern border has been limited, considering the priority of protecting Lebanon’s stability and security.

However, “if Israel expands its attacks … all our power will be used to attack Israel; we do not fear the war, and we are not hesitant about it; otherwise, we would have stopped fighting on the southern front,” he said.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since Oct. 8 after the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

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Hezbollah Demands Global Condemnation of Israeli Strikes on Media

On October 14, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council against Israel for launching attacks on journalists…reports Asian Lite News

Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia military group, has vowed to retaliate against Israel’s “brutal aggression” after two journalists from Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen were killed in Israeli attacks on the southern village of Tayr Harfa.

“This crime, the previous attack on Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah, the killing of dozens of journalists in Gaza and the destruction of their headquarters by the occupation forces, reveals the important role played by the media in exposing the enemy’s practices and exposing its horrific crimes against civilians, especially in the Gaza Strip,” Hezbollah said on Tuesday in a statement.

The military group called on international media and humanitarian bodies to condemn the “crime and similar crimes that preceded it,” and “exert the highest levels of pressure” on the Israeli government to stop its attacks on media professionals and civilians, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati strongly condemned the Israeli attacks that killed media professionals in the south on Tuesday. He said the attack proved once again that “Israel’s goal is to silence the media that exposes its crimes and attacks”.

For his part, Lebanese Defence Minister Maurice Slim called for “a unified and effective Arab and international position in the face of the continuous Israeli aggression as statements of denunciation and condemnation are no longer sufficient”.

Farah Omar, a reporter working for local TV channel Al-Mayadeen, and Rabih Al-Maamari, a photographer working for the same channel, were covering the events in southern Lebanon on Tuesday when two Israeli drones hit them, killing both of them and a civilian named Hussein Akil, Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar reported.

On October 13, Issam Abdallah, a Lebanese photojournalist working for Reuters, was killed while covering Israeli attacks in the southern village of Alma al-Shaab while several other journalists working for Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera were injured.

On October 14, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council against Israel for launching attacks on journalists.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension for over six weeks after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Shebaa Farms on October 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel on Monday, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon.

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Gaza Civilian Toll Sparks Wider War Fears: Hezbollah

Sheikh Naim Qassem said that the region faces grave and uncontrollable consequences….reports Asian Lite News

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the second in command of Hezbollah, has said killing of civilians in Gaza by Israel risks wider war in the Middle East, media reports said.

Sheikh Naim Qassem told the BBC that very serious and very dangerous developments can occur in the region and no-one would be able to stop the repercussions.

Hezbollah deputy leader was speaking during an interview in Beirut, as the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said more than 10,000 people had been killed since the start of war.

Israel’s assault follows the Hamas attacks on 7 October which killed 1,400 people – 1,000 of them civilians, BBC reported.

“The danger is real,” he said, “because Israel is increasing its aggression against civilians and killing more women and children. Is it possible for this to continue and increase, without bringing real danger to the region? I think not.”

He insisted any escalation would be linked to Israel’s actions. “Every possibility has a response,” he said, BBC reported.

He said that Hezbollah, “the Party of God” has plenty of possibilities.

The Shia Islamist group – classed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and the Arab League – is the largest political and military force in Lebanon.

So far, Hezbollah’s response to the war in Gaza has involved amplifying its warnings, but carefully calibrating its actions.

When an Israeli strike killed a woman and three children in southern Lebanon on Sunday, Hezbollah used Grad rockets for the first time in the conflict, killing an Israeli civilian.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened that every civilian death in Lebanon will reap another across the border. But notably, he has not threatened Israel with an all-out war, BBC reported

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‘Wagner group to deliver air defence weapons to Hezbollah’

The SA-22 system is also known as Pantsir-S1, which is a truck-mounted surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons system made in Russia…reports Asian Lite News

The US Intelligence has learned that Russia’s Wagner Group is preparing to deliver an advanced air defence missile system to Hezbollah following the Lebanese militia group’s clashes with Israel, reported New York Post.

American officials are currently monitoring discussions between the Wagner mercenary group and Lebanon’s Hamas-supporting militia on the possible delivery of the SA-22, a system that uses anti-aircraft missiles and guns to combat airstrikes, the New York Post reported citing the Wall Street Journal report.

The SA-22 system is also known as Pantsir-S1, which is a truck-mounted surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapons system made in Russia.

This weapon was also used in the Russian-Ukraine war and could be deployed in the Middle East by the Iran-backed militia group for defence purposes against Israel’s airstrikes.

Moreover, as the Israel-Hamas war escalates, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have also increased along the Lebanese border.

According to the US officials, the SA-22 has yet to be delivered to Lebanon, but highlighted that some Hezbollah and Wagner personnel are currently stationed in Syria, New York Post reported.

However, it is still unclear if the weapon could be transported from Lebanon to Gaza to help Hamas in fighting against Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza.

Moreover, Russian officials have also not commented on the alleged discussion between Wagner and Hezbollah yet.

Meanwhile, the US has made its presence in the area by stationing an aircraft barrier in the Eastern Mediterranean to hinder Hezbollah from joining Hamas in attacking Israel.

As Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7 as Hamas attacked the country by firing rockets, US President Joe Biden warned outside parties from staging an assault on Israel’s borders.

However, despite the warning, the heads of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad met last week to announce their united war against Israel, the New York Post reported. (ANI)

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