These Are Israel’s Two Options – Hezbollah Leader Sends Strong Messages to Tel Aviv, Washington

May 14, 2024

Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. (Photo: via Al-Mayadeen)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Nasrallah said that the “image of deterrence” within the Israeli occupation entity is declining, especially after Iran’s Operation True Promise.

Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah affirmed on Monday that the Lebanese front continues, in various forms and methods, its operations in support of the Resistance in the Gaza Strip and imposes its own rules of engagement.

In a speech delivered on the eighth anniversary of the martyrdom of Commander Mustafa Badreddine, Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the continuation of the Lebanese Resistance’s operations in support of the Gaza front is “a settled matter not open for discussion.”

He stressed that the entire world “has accepted this fact,” adding that this is why the Americans conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there is no solution for the Northern front without a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Resistance leader addressed the settlers in northern occupied Palestine who are eager to return to their settlements, calling on them to pressure their government to end the aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Hitting a Brick

Nasrallah explained that evaluating the results of the war requires assessing the battlefield and not relying on Israeli claims about victory, indicating that “there is a consensus on the failure of Israel.”

He also pointed out that even allies of Netanyahu mock him when he says he is “one step away from victory,” emphasizing that the issue “is not limited only to Israeli failure to achieve objectives but extends to include more strategic losses.”

The Hezbollah leader touched on Israeli opinion polls regarding confidence in Israel as a state and in its army, highlighting that at least 30% of settlers believe that Israel is uninhabitable.

The Hezbollah chief considered that the “real achievement” is the failure of Israel, backed by the West, to retrieve its captives or achieve any form of victory, not to mention its inability to protect its ships from missiles launched from thousands of kilometers away.

Nasrallah added that the “image of deterrence” within the Israeli occupation entity is declining, especially after Iran’s Operation True Promise.

In the same context, he mentioned that senior Israeli generals say that Netanyahu, through his insistence on war, “is leading us to the abyss,” noting that Israelis also speak of “daily attrition in Gaza, in the support fronts, and in the economy.”

He added that Israel fears withdrawing from Gaza because that would mean its defeat, which comprises a “disaster” for the entity, indicating that the Israeli leadership “has no vision for the day after the war.”

In light of this, Nasrallah asserted that the Israeli occupation “has hit a brick and is searching for any image of victory,” pointing out that “Netanyahu wants to invade Rafah to efface the image of defeat.”

As for the mediators’ proposal that Hamas agreed to, Nasrallah said that it surprised Netanyahu because it meant his defeat and victory for Hamas (because it fulfilled Hamas’ demands).

Therefore, “the Israeli occupation has two options, either return to the mediators’ document, which means defeat for Israel, or pursue the (war of) attrition,” he maintained.

‘US Deception’

In a similar vein, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah spoke about the continued US support for the Israeli occupation in its war on Gaza, stressing that “even if the United States stops an arms deal bound for Israel, it will re-allow it as this constitutes an American deception because what is happening is nothing more than a tactical dispute between the United States and Israel.”

“These theatrics that we are witnessing nowadays should not deceive anyone, as Washington stands with Israel (no matter what),” he stressed.

Below are more highlights from Nasrallah’s speech. The translation below was provided by Hezbollah’s Telegram channel, and is used here without editorial intervention from the Palestine Chronicle. 

‘A Settled Matter Not Open for Discussion’

“I send greetings to the steadfast and brave fighters on all fronts, who are writing the finest scenes of heroism, courage, strength, determination, enthusiasm, and conviction.

“Greetings to the wounded fighters in all arenas, and I pray to Allah for their healing.

“The resistance is the cumulative result of the sacrifices of those who have passed, from martyrs and leaders, to the resistance fighters who are still on the covenant.

“Despite the blockade and difficult conditions, Syria still maintains its firm and steadfast position on the Palestinian cause.

“The resistance fighting today on the front is the cumulative result of the past, present, and future.

“Among the goals of the resistance in Gaza is to revive the Palestinian cause and remind of the rights of the Palestinian people.

“The scene of demonstrations in American and European universities bearing the name of Palestine was created by October 7th and what followed.

“The most significant scene that embodies the image of victory for the resistance is when the Israeli representative at the United Nations raised a photo of the leader Yahya Sinwar.

“The Arab rulers were about to sign the death papers of the Palestinian cause with the normalization step with the zionist enemy that was coming within months.

“Some Arab regimes and satellite channels are now promoting the enemy entity as the only democratic state in our region.

“The steadfastness of the Palestinians has forced the world to talk about a Palestinian state and has forced the hypocritical United States to speak about a Palestinian state.

“Israel’s image in the world is that of a killer of children and women, arrogant towards international laws and human and moral values.

“In the eighth month of the war on Gaza, there is a consensus in Israel on the failure to achieve the war’s objectives.

“One of the most significant results is that this entity admits it has not achieved victory, and 70% of Israel are demanding the resignation of the Chief of Staff.

“Opinion polls on confidence in the Israeli state as a state, and in the Israeli military, show that at least 30 percent say that this “state” cannot be lived in. 80 percent of those who left Israel say they will not return to it.

“Israel is incapable of protecting its entity and requires mobilization by the United States, Britain, and Arabs, yet it still fails to protect itself.

“After eight months, where has the deteriorating image of Israeli deterrence ended up?

“The real achievement is that Israel is incapable of protecting its ships from missiles coming from thousands of kilometers away.

“The real achievement today is that Israel is incapable of restoring the image of deterrence against the Palestinians, Yemenis, Lebanese, and Syrians.

“The war on Gaza today is the biggest battle the Palestinian people are fighting against the enemy state, which will emerge from the war in crisis.

“Blinken clearly expressed yesterday that Israel is in trouble. Senior Israeli generals also say that Netanyahu, by insisting on the war, is ‘dragging us into the abyss.’

“Israelis today are talking about daily attrition in Gaza, on the support fronts, and in the economy. 

“The Israeli fears withdrawing from Gaza because it would mean its defeat, which would be a disaster for it.

“Imagine that the leadership of a ‘state’ that has no vision for the next day.

“The Palestinian presence on the ground and internationally has enabled it to impose its terms, while Netanyahu is at a dead end and continues to fight because he is looking for a picture of victory, hence his insistence on invading Rafah.

“In order to get out of the image of defeat, Netanyahu wants to enter Rafah. Even if the zionist enemy enters Rafah, it does not mean that the resistance has ended and that the Palestinian people have abandoned the resistance.

“Instead of turning the tragedy in Gaza into a means to expose the enemy and hold Israel accountable for everything happening, some Arab zionists use it as a means to frustrate and blame the resistance.”

“American theatrics and some tactical disagreements between America and Israel should deceive no one, all these are methods of deception and hypocrisy practiced by the United States, as America stands with Israel.

“What happened at the United Nations and the International Court of Justice confirms American support for Israel and that its position has not changed.

“The mediator’s proposal surprised Netanyahu after Hamas agreed to it, because it means his defeat and victory for Hamas.

“Hamas’ acceptance of the Egyptian proposal and Netanyahu’s rejection of it, in contrast, is an admission of his fall and defeat.

“Al-Aqsa Flood exposed the lies and deception of the west.

“We estimate that the enemy has two options: returning to the mediators’ proposal, which means its defeat, or to remain in a state of continual attrition, imposing a war that will also prolong for them. In both cases, the resistance will be victorious.

“No matter the sacrifices today, this battle is historic and creates a true and historic achievement.

“The Lebanese support front continues quantitatively and qualitatively, imposing equations, and the linkage of this front with the Gaza front is a decisive matter that the Americans and French must realize. 

“Ask the residents of the north to understand what is happening on this front.

“The goal of the Lebanese front is to pressure (us) to stop the war in Gaza.

“We say to the settlers in the north, if you want a solution, go to your government and tell them to stop the war on Gaza.

“When we are masters of ourselves and not slaves, and when we possess elements of strength, we can impose our terms on the enemy.” 

(Al-Mayadeen, PC, RNN)

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