Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that the al-Quneitra attack was definitely an assassination, noting that Israel did not claim responsibility and assumed that Hezbollah would not respond out of weakness.
In a televised speech, Nasrallah stressed that Israel was indeed surprised when Hezbollah declared the names of its martyrs within a short time after the Syria strike.
During a ceremony held to honor the al-Quneitra martyrs, Nasrallah pointed out that "the mix of Iranian and Lebanese blood on Syrian land, represents the unity of the cause, the battle and the fate," adding that Israel has resorted over the past few years to the same arrogant practices it had adopted decades ago.
He noted that, following the al-Quneitra strike, Israel focused its attention on Lebanon and Hezbollah to anticipate a response, revealing that the Israelis had raised their level of alertness to the highest levels, yet failed to understand the events that took place in the Shebaa Farms, from the onset of the operation right until the very end.
“Israel believes that it can threaten any army or government in the region and attack anytime or anywhere it pleases, while taking advantage of the conflicts taking place in neighboring countries amid the complete absence of the Arab league,” he stated.
In this context, Nasrallah stressed that Israel will be held responsible for the killing of any Hezbollah member, noting that from now on, the Resistance will consider that it has the right to respond to any attack at any time and place.
“Israel must understand that we are not afraid of war, we will face it if imposed and we will achieve victory,” he said.
On another note, Nasrallah said that the Iranian nuclear issue does not affect the course of the Lebanese presidential elections or the Resistance’s decision to respond to any aggression.