Israeli PM Netanyahu addresses Lebanese, claims Israel assassinated Nasrallah’s replacement, Safieddine, and his replacement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a video statement on Tuesday that Israel eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his replacement [Hashem Safieddine], and "the replacement of his replacement."

 

In his address, he asked, "Remember when your country was called the Pearl of the Middle East? I do. So what happened to Lebanon?" 

"Lebanon was once known for its tolerance, for its beauty. Today, it's a place of chaos and war," he said.

Netanyahu noted that Israel withdrew from Lebanon 25 years ago, saying: "The country that actually conquered Lebanon is not Israel; it is Iran. Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah to serve its interest at Lebanon's expense."

He added that Hezbollah joined the war against Israel to launch an "unprovoked attack" on its cities and citizens.

"Israel has decided to put an end to this. We decided to do whatever is necessary," he stressed. "Israel has a right to defend itself."

He claimed that "Israel will win. We degraded Hezbollah's capabilities." 

"The Lebanese people stand at a significant crossroads. It is your choice. You can take back your country. You can return it to a path of peace and prosperity. If you don't, Hezbollah will continue to try to fight Israel from densely populated areas at your expense."

He addressed Christians, Druze, Sunnis, Shiites, "all of you suffering because of Hezbollah's futile war against Israel. Today, I ask every mother and every father in Lebanon a simple question: is it worth it?"

He added: "There is a better way, a better way for your children, for your cities, for your villages, for your country. You deserve to restore Lebanon to its days of tranquility. You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering."

"As we see in Gaza, it doesn't have to be that way," Netanyahu noted, calling on the people of Lebanon to "free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end."