War between Israel and Lebanon?

Hezbollah chief emphasizes readiness to fight

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah(Bild: AFP)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has once again emphasized his militia's readiness to fight. If Israel's army forces a war on Lebanon, the "resistance without borders will fight back." "Israel must reckon with us on land, at sea and in the air."

Hezbollah is prepared to fight without restrictions or rules. However, Nasrallah says he is not aiming for a full-scale war with Israel and that "the Lebanese front" is already strongly represented at the negotiating table. The situation between Lebanon and Israel has recently come to a head. On Tuesday, Israel's military approved plans for an offensive in the neighboring country, fueling fears of an escalation. Senior commanders had approved "operational plans", the army announced.

Aerial photos published
"We naturally have infinitely greater capabilities, of which I believe the enemy knows only a few," said Israel's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. The army is already preparing to be able to deal with the capabilities of the Lebanese Shiite militia.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah(Bild: AFP)

On Tuesday, Hezbollah published aerial photos that are said to show the port of Haifa and other important strategic locations in the area (see video above). The images were probably taken by a drone. Israel's army was said to have known that Hezbollah was capable of doing this.

Warning to Cyprus
The Hezbollah leader has now also warned Cyprus of a confrontation with the Israeli army. Should the government make its airports and military bases available to the army, the island state would become "part of the war". In the past, special units have already traveled to Cyprus to train for the fight against Hezbollah.

"Nasrallah's statements are unpleasant and we will take all steps at the diplomatic level," said Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letybiotis on Thursday. However, the "insinuations" of the Hezbollah leader "do not correspond to reality".