Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AFP
Hizbullah supporters in Beirut (Archives)
Photo: AP
Nasrallah: We're transporting weapons without Israel's knowledge
Hizbullah secretary-general speaks at Beirut rally, says organization secretly transporting weapons, willing to fight alongside Lebanese troops in case of conflict with Israel
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said that Hizbullah was in possession of many different types of weapons and that it was the organization’s right to use the weapons against Israel.
“We are secretly transporting weapons and Israel doesn’t know about it,” Nasrallah said.
In his speech at a rally in Beirut Friday, Nasrallah hinted that Hizbullah wouldn’t shy away from confronting Israel in the future. “If a confrontation develops, our weapons, our blood, and our youth will stand shoulder to shoulder beside the Lebanese army,” he said.
Hizbullah’s leader also commented on last week’s incident in which Lebanese authorities seized a truck carrying weapons in the outskirts of Beirut.
“The most important element in the resistance’s strength is its secrecy … why are we being demanded to show are weapons openly?” Nasrallah asked.
Nasrallah added that he would not forgive the Lebanese authorities for confiscating weapons intended for use by the organization.
He also commented on calls by Christian Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt to transfer all weapons in Hizbullah’s possession to the Lebanese army. He said he was prepared to give the army a hundred times the amount of weapons, but that he would not allow even a single bullet to be taken from Hizbullah.
Nasrallah concluded that “no one will succeed in creating conflict between Hizbullah and the army” and that he did not differentiate between the army and Hizbullah, saying they could combine their weapons, missiles, and resources and fight side by side.
