BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s chief said Tuesday ending the Gaza war was key to halting hostilities on the Lebanon frontier, and accused foreign efforts to end the cross-border violence of serving Israeli interests.
“When the attack on Gaza stops and there is a ceasefire, the fire will also stop in the south” of Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address, but warned: “If they (Israel) broaden the confrontation, we will do the same.”
Hezbollah fighters have traded near-daily fire with Israel since the war broke out on October 7 between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Fears have been growing of another full-blown conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with tens of thousands displaced on both sides of the border and regional tensions soaring.
Late last month, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israeli troops would “very soon go into action” near the country’s northern border with Lebanon.
Israel, Hezbollah trade fire across Lebanon border
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity in Beirut, with foreign ministers including from Germany, France and Britain visiting in efforts to dial down tensions.
“All the delegations that have come to Lebanon over the past four months… have only one goal: the security of Israel, protecting Israel” and returning displaced north Israeli residents to their homes, Nasrallah said.
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Monday he had put forward “proposals” during a recent visit to Lebanon.
Several diplomatic sources, requesting anonymity, told AFP the French plan involved Hezbollah fighters withdrawing to 10-12 kilometres (six to seven miles) from the border.
“Let nobody think Lebanon is weak and afraid, or that they can impose conditions” including over the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters, Nasrallah said.
He warned that if Israel decided to wage war on Lebanon, those displaced from northern Israel “will not return” and Israeli officials should “prepare shelters, hotels, schools and tents for two million people” who would be displaced.
Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned that “time is running out” to reach a diplomatic solution in south Lebanon.
“Israel will act militarily to return the evacuated citizens” to its northern border area if no diplomatic solution is reached, he said.
The cross-border violence since the start of the Israel-Hamas war has killed at least 243 people on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 30 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
On the Israeli side, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli army.
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