Hizbullah will take “precautions” during Israeli maneuvers
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said the resistance would "adopt precautionary measures to face any security attack that might target Lebanon." During a speech broadcast on Hizbullah”s Al-Manar station, Nasrallah added that "we will also be ready and cautious; and we tell the Israelis that any surprise attack will fail."
The Hizbullah leader also called on the Lebanese people to be ready for "the Israeli enemy”s largest maneuvers since 1961."
Nasrallah said the Israeli maneuvers, which will be held between May 31 and June 4, would involve the entire Occupied Territories, including the army, police, government, people, hospitals and schools.
"I hope the Lebanese people won”t be frightened; and I hope the Lebanese security forces and army will bear responsibility because it”s an issue of national security," he added.
The Hizbullah leader said there were four probabilities behind Israel”s maneuvers.
The first probability, according to Nasrallah, was that these maneuvers "are meant to restore trust and morals: the trust of the army in itself, the trust between its generals and soldiers, and the trust of the people in their government and army."
The second probability, he added, was that these maneuvers were carried out because the Israeli government was "worried about its existence or at least worried over its national security."
The third probability, he said, was that Israel wanted to send a message to the region and the world to say the Israeli entity was neither weak nor divided.
The fourth possible reason for the maneuvers, according to Nasrallah, was that Israel may be preparing for a new surprise war. He added that Israel might launch an attack that would lead to unexpected reactions which require the Israeli government, army and people to be ready.
"We don”t have information on this issue, but this probability should be taken into consideration," Nasrallah said.
However, the Hizbullah leader added that based on the group”s personal analysis, "we don”t think that Israel will launch a war against Lebanon … but we should be cautious and ready."
He added that Hizbullah”s capabilities had grown "in quantity and quality."
Nasrallah said that during a dialogue session held last April, MP Mohammad Raad had put this issue on the table to ask for a national policy to prepare for such maneuvers. However, Nasrallah said the issue had fallen on deaf ears.
"This political authority, whose responsibility it is to protect the country, didn”t take any measures," he said, adding that Lebanese politicians were busy with the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"Did this state decide in any way to protect the security, water, and dignity of Lebanon?" he asked.
He added that "the Israeli enemy says it is performing the largest maneuvers in 61 years, but the Lebanese Cabinet has not figured out how to face this issue diplomatically, militarily, civilly or politically."
The Hizbullah leader also called for holding an extraordinary dialogue session or a Cabinet session dedicated to this issue to agree on a strategy to face any possible threats that might result from these maneuvers.