VIDEO- Hizbullah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has said his group's fighters would begin rocket attacks deeper into Israel, south of the Israeli port of Haifa.
Speaking to his group's mouthpiece al-Manar TV, Nasrallah said Israel's two-week-long military offensive against Lebanon was linked to a US-Israeli plan for "a new Middle East," a term used repeatedly by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her just concluded visit to the region.
He also said Israel would have attacked his forces in southern Lebanon by October but moved early when his group captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12.
Shia Lebanese defiant despite Israel offensive (Photo: AP)
"In an American and Zionist assessment, there are obstacles to a new Middle East. In the new Middle East, the Palestine cause should be liquidated," Nasrallah said in a televised speech aired also aired on Lebanese and Arab satellite channels early Wednesday.
"In the new Middle East, there is no place for any resistance movement. The resistance movements in Palestine and Lebanon must be eliminated," Nasrallah added.
'Dignity above all'
Nasrallah said his organization was ready to discuss an end to the fighting, but the dignity and national interest of Lebanon was what he termed a "red line," a reference to the heavy Israeli bombing and ground assaults on the country.
"There is no way that we can accept any humiliating conditions on us, our people or our country...especially after all these sacrifices. ... we are open to political discussions and solutions with flexibility, but the dignity and national interest is a red line."
The bearded Shiite Muslim cleric also said Israel could not win a ground war against his group, who
would continue firing rockets into Israel no matter how far north Israeli forces penetrated into Lebanon.
"The goal of the incursion to prevent the rocketing of the settlements will not be achieved," he said. "The
rocketing will continue no matter what the incursion is. We are ready for a ground confrontation. We will have the upper hand in a ground confrontation. We will recover any land occupied by the enemy," Nasrallah said.