Hezbollah chief lashes back at Israel ‘stone age’ war threats

This photo shows the head of Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, delivering a televised speech from an undisclosed location. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 14 August 2023
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Hezbollah chief lashes back at Israel ‘stone age’ war threats

  • In a televised speech on Monday to mark the anniversary of the latest war in 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said: “You too will be returned back to the stone age... if you go to war with Lebanon”

BEIRUT: The leader of Lebanon’s powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said Monday his group could send Israel “back to the stone age,” in tit-for-tat threats following similar Israeli remarks as border tensions brew.
During a tour of the Lebanese-Israeli border last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had threatened to send Lebanon “back to the stone age” should Hezbollah escalate tensions at the border.
In a televised speech on Monday to mark the anniversary of the latest war in 2006 between Israel and the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said: “You too will be returned back to the stone age... if you go to war with Lebanon.”
The comments come amid increased tensions along the border area between Israel and Lebanon, which remain technically at war.
South Lebanon, near the Israeli border, is a Hezbollah stronghold and the site of sporadic incidents and skirmishes.
Hezbollah is the only Lebanese faction that kept its weapons after the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. It is considered a “terrorist” organization by many Western governments.
Nasrallah said it would take “a few high-precision missiles” for his group to destroy targets including “civilian and military airports, air bases, power stations... and the Dimona (nuclear) power station.”
If a future conflict “draws in the resistance axis... there will be no such thing called Israel anymore,” he said, referring to Hezbollah’s regional allies including some Palestinian factions and other Iran-backed groups.
Nasrallah also urged calm days after a Hezbollah ammunition truck overturned in a town near Beirut, triggering deadly clashes between Christian residents and members of the Shiite Muslim group.
One resident of Kahale and one Hezbollah member were killed by gunfire.
Nasrallah blamed unnamed politicians for stoking intercommunal tensions and “driving the country toward civil war.”
“Today my call is a call for reason,” he said addressing Lebanon’s Christian community.
“The interest of Lebanon, the Lebanese people and the resistance is for calm to prevail in Lebanon.”
The Lebanese army said it had seized the munitions from the truck after the incident in Kahale, a town in the mountains east of the Lebanese capital, on the road linking it to the Bekaa Valley bordering Syria.
 

 


Turkiye attacking Kurds in northern Syria will be dangerous, Iraqi FM tells Davos

Updated 5 sec ago
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Turkiye attacking Kurds in northern Syria will be dangerous, Iraqi FM tells Davos

Attacking Kurdish forces in northern Syria would create more refugees, Hussein told WEF

DAVOS: Turkiye attacking Kurdish forces in northern Syria would be dangerous and would create more refugees in neighboring Iraq, said Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s foreign minister, at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

Regional leaders discuss key Middle East issues at WEF

Updated 31 min 54 sec ago
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Regional leaders discuss key Middle East issues at WEF

DAVOS: During the World Economic Forum, key Middle Eastern leaders addressed pressing regional issues, highlighting the importance of cooperation and political solutions for lasting peace.

Jordan's Foreign Minister, Ayman Al Safadi, emphasized the need for understanding the root causes of conflicts, particularly the October 7 incident, in order to prevent future violence. He reiterated Jordan's commitment to partnering with the US to promote peace in the Middle East.

Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani, voiced concerns about the impact of international sanctions, stating that their removal is crucial for Syria’s development and a better future for its people. He also called for greater support in advancing Syria’s political process.

Iraq's Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, warned that instability in northern Syria could lead to an influx of refugees into Iraq and jeopardize security, particularly with the potential release of thousands of terrorists from prisons in the region. He also expressed concern about the ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington, urging both sides to pursue a diplomatic approach.

 


Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos

Updated 23 January 2025
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Jordan’s crown prince meets Bahrain, Kurdistan leaders in Davos

  • Crown Prince Hussein seeks to boost cooperation in the region
  • Joins session on artificial intelligence, global skills development

DUBAI: Representing King Abdullah at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah held meetings recently with regional leaders to reinforce Jordan’s commitment to fostering cooperation and addressing pressing challenges in the region.

The crown prince met with Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, head of Bahrain’s delegation, to discuss ties between the two nations, according to reports.

Their talks focused on enhancing economic and technological cooperation and advancing training programs to help young people prepare for the workplace.

In addition, they reviewed regional developments, stressing the importance of sustaining the Gaza ceasefire and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In a separate meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the discussions focused on relations between Jordan and Iraq.

The officials also spoke about boosting collaboration, especially in economic and technology fields, and addressing key regional issues.

The crown prince also participated in a session on enhancing the skills and productivity of people in the age of artificial intelligence.

The session addressed the WEF’s 2020 initiative to train 1 billion people globally by 2030, which is aimed at closing skill gaps and preparing workers for rapid technological advancements.

The participants at the 55th WEF, held under the theme “Cooperation for the Smart Age,” include heads of state, global CEOs and entrepreneurs, who have gathered to discuss strategies for growth, investing in people, and managing challenges in the energy sector and beyond.

The crown prince was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s Ambassador to Switzerland Nawaf Al-Tal, and Director of the Office of the Crown Prince Dr. Zaid Al-Baqain.


Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official

Updated 23 January 2025
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Hundreds leave West Bank camp during Israeli raid: Palestinian official

  • The Israeli military launched an operation in Jenin on Tuesday, saying it aims to uproot Palestinian militants in the camp and the city.

Jenin: A Palestinian official said hundreds of residents of the occupied West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp were leaving their homes Thursday, days into a large-scale Israeli raid in the area.
“Hundreds of camp residents have begun leaving after the Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp,” where Israel’s military launched an intense military operation this week, Jenin governor Kamal Abu Al-Rub told AFP.
The army told AFP that it was “unaware of any evacuation orders for residents in Jenin as of now.”
Salim Saadi, a Jenin resident who lives on the edge of the refugee camp, told AFP that the army had asked camp residents to leave between 9:00 am (0700 GMT) and 5:00 pm.
“There are dozens of camp residents who have begun to leave,” he said.
“The army is in front of my house. They could enter at any moment.”
The Israeli military launched an operation in Jenin on Tuesday, saying it aims to uproot Palestinian militants in the camp and the city.
The offensive began just days after a ceasefire deal paused fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli assault has killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured 40 more, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Operation Iron Wall,” as it has been dubbed, will “eradicate terrorism” in the West Bank city known as a bastion of Palestinian militancy.


Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank

Updated 23 January 2025
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Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank

  • The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli authorities had informed it of the deaths of Nazzal, 25, and Shalabi, 30

Ramallah: The Israeli military said Thursday it killed two Palestinian militants overnight near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, where a large-scale raid is underway, accusing them of murdering three Israelis.
In a statement, the military said that Israeli forces found the two militants barricaded in a house in the village of Burqin.
“After an exchange of fire, they were eliminated by the forces,” it said, adding one soldier was injured in the exchange.
The military identified those killed as Mohammed Nazzal and Qutaiba Shalabi, accusing them of being “affiliated with Islamic Jihad” and responsible for a deadly shooting on an Israeli bus in early January.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli authorities had informed it of the deaths of Nazzal, 25, and Shalabi, 30.
“The bodies are being withheld” by the army, it added in a statement.
Three Israelis were killed and six injured in a January 6 attack near the village of Al-Funduq, also in the West Bank.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the time he had directed the military to “act with force” to find the attackers, vowing on X that “anyone who... enables or supports the murder and harm of Jews will pay a heavy price.”
The night that followed the attack saw several instances of violent altercations with settlers in that part of the West Bank, including in the village of Hajja, whose mayor told AFP it had come under attack.
Violence has surged throughout the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 850 Palestinians in the West Bank since the conflict began.
During the same period, at least 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.