Hezbollah airs audio recording of ex-Chief Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli airstrikes
Beirut, Oct 14 (IANS) Hezbollah has released an audio recording of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah via the group’s Al-Manar TV.
In the audio recording, Nasrallah, addressing resistance fighters during a military manoeuvre, on Sunday said, “We count on you … to defend your people, your families, your homeland, your values, and your dignity.”
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, on September 27 while meeting at Hezbollah’s headquarters there with several senior commanders, Xinhua news agency reported.
Since September 23, the Israeli army has been launching intensive airstrikes on Lebanon, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.
It is unclear when the message was recorded. But the release of it underscores the militant group’s determination to fight on in the face of Israel’s ongoing offensive against the group.
The recording’s release comes as Hezbollah continues to fire dozens of rockets into Israel, nearly two weeks after Israel began its ground incursion into Lebanon. The Israeli military said that as of 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, Hezbollah had fired 115 rockets into Israel.
Hezbollah on Sunday claimed more than 25 attacks on Israeli army bases and gatherings of soldiers in northern Israel and southern Lebanon including close combat with Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah also warned Israeli citizens to stay away from “military gatherings”.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah took place one year ago when Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at Israel in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.
United Nations peacekeepers on Sunday accused Israeli troops of breaking through a gate and entering one of their positions in south Lebanon.
It is the latest of several incidents the UNIFIL mission has reported since Thursday, leaving five Blue Helmets previously injured.
“At around 4:30 am, while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF (Israeli military) Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the position” in the Ramia area, before leaving 45 minutes later, said the peacekeeping force (UNIFIL).
On Saturday, several km (miles) to the northeast, Israeli “soldiers stopped a critical UNIFIL logistical movement near Mais al-Jabal, denying it passage”, it added.
–IANS
int/khz
