BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s second-in-command warned on Saturday that an all-out war by Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes in areas near the Lebanon border would displace “hundreds of thousands” more.
Naim Qassem, number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was determined to restore security to its northern front.
Gallant told Israeli troops last week that “we are preparing for anything that may happen in the north.”
In a speech in Beirut, Qassem said: “We have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful.
“However, if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it — and there will be large losses on both sides,” he said.
“If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home ... we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced.”
Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.
Thousands of people living in the border area of both countries have been displaced by the fighting.
The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 142 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians.
Qassem said on Saturday of those displaced in Israel: “It is impossible to bring them back, no matter the sacrifices made.
“So take your time and think about it before reaching a decision. We are prepared for any eventuality.”
In late August, Israel’s military said it had foiled a major assault by Hezbollah aimed at avenging a military commander killed by an Israeli air strike near Beirut.
Israel said it destroyed “thousands” of Hezbollah rocket launchers, while the Lebanese group insisted it had fired a drone and rocket barrage across the border.
It was perhaps the biggest exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the Gaza war began.
However, the violence has since eased, with analysts believing that both sides wish to avoid a wider regional flare-up.
Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
https://arab.news/g5rba
Hezbollah warns Israel against Lebanon border flare-up
- Naim Qassem, number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was determined to restore security to its northern front
Israel’s Supreme Court suspends govt move to shut army radio
- Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.
In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government “did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision.”
He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.
The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before March 1, 2026.
Founded in 1950, Galei Tsahal is widely known for its flagship news programs and has long been followed by both domestic and foreign correspondents.
A government audience survey ranks it as Israel’s third most listened-to radio station, with a market share of 17.7 percent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged ministers to back the closure, saying there had been repeated proposals over the years to remove the station from the military, abolish it or privatise it.
But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised “concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting.”
She added that it “poses questions regarding an infringement on freedom of expression and of the press.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Galei Tsahal broadcasts “political and divisive content” that does not align with military values.
He said soldiers, civilians and bereaved families had complained that the station did not represent them and undermined morale and the war effort.
Katz also argued that a military-run radio station serving the general public is an anomaly in democratic countries.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid had condemned the closure decision, calling it part of the government’s effort to suppress freedom of expression ahead of elections.
Israel is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and Netanyahu has said he will seek another term as prime minister.
