Currently Online 
Hezbollah vows retaliation after senior commander killed in Israeli strike
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem says the Lebanese group has the right to respond to Israel’s killing of senior commander Haytham Ali Tabtabai and will “set the timing” for retaliation.
In a televised speech, Qassem described the Israeli air raid that killed Tabtabai and several others as “blatant aggression”. Qassem also welcomed Pope Leo’s visit to Lebanon, saying he hoped it would contribute to bringing peace and stopping Israel’s attacks on the country.
Despite Israel and Hezbollah agreeing to a ceasefire last November, the Israeli army continues with air raids across the south and parts of eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
On Sunday, Israel attacked the southern suburbs of the capital, Beirut, killing five people, including Tabtabai.
Hezbollah chief says Lebanon must prepare plans to confront Israel
During Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem’s televised speech, he warned that the time has come to get ready for a new conflict with Israel. “Surrender is out of the question for us. We will stand firm and defend ourselves … It is better for our citizens that we unite against the foreign enemy,” he said.
He said Israel’s killing of top commander Haytham Ali Tabtabai last week occurred when he was in a meeting with four aides “to prepare for future actions”.
Qassem insisted the Lebanese group has respected the November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of fighting with Israel, calling for an end to persistent Israeli attacks on the country.
It continues to ignore the ceasefire as it repeatedly attacks Lebanon and occupies its territory in the south with a series of military posts after agreeing to withdrawal.
Lebanese people tired of ‘destruction and killings’: Lawmaker
Najat Aoun Saliba, an independent parliamentarian in Lebanon, says the government is working hard to convince Hezbollah to hand over its weapons as Israel continues to threaten war, and the United States has given a deadline by the end of the year.
“We do understand that Israel is an enemy that is violating all these agreements – more than 5,000 times – but we don’t understand how Hezbollah is continuing to restrain from complying to those resolutions – the ceasefire and [UN] resolution 1701,” she said.
“I think the people are completely tired of destruction and killings. We call on Hezbollah to really put its hand with the hands of all those who want to build a state, so we can put pressure on Israel through the international community to withdraw from the Lebanese territory.”
Aoun Saliba told Al Jazeera that Lebanon’s army has done “a great job” taking over the security of southern Lebanon during the year-old ceasefire with Israel.
“We know they are facing a lot of challenges with the occupation by the Israelis of the good part of many villages and the points they have taken in the south.”
