14 May 2024

Lede: 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.
-- Cont'd at https://www.palestinechronicle.com/these-are-israels-two-options-hezbollah-leader-sends-strong-messages-to-tel-aviv-washington/