Anti-Israel Hizbullah rally in Lebanon
Photo: AFP
Report: Hizbullah wary of another war with Israel
Source affiliated with Shiite group says its supporters reacted negatively to Thursday's rocket attack on north Israel, indicating they do not support fresh aggression against Jewish state
A source affiliated with Hizbullah told the London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat Friday that while the Shiite group has placed its forces on the highest alert level, it is not seeking another war with Israel.
Shiite Group
Roee Nahmias
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According to the report, as part of its heightened alert measures Hizbullah has transferred its logistical and security headquarters from the Dahiya neighborhood in south Beirut to the southern part of the country. In addition, the group has ordered members of its technical units to return to Lebanon at once.
The source said that despite these measures, the reactions among the Shiite population in Lebanon following Thursday's rocket attack on northern Israel indicated that they do not support a new military campaign against the Jewish state.
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Dahiya, a Hizbullah stronghold in Beirut that was heavily bombarded by the Israeli Air Force during the Second Lebanon War, is still in ruins. Only 20% of the structures that had been destroyed in the war were rebuilt, and 80% of the neighborhood's displaced residents have yet to return despite Hizbullah's promises, the newspaper added.
Therefore, a Hizbullah attack on Israel may be viewed by its supporters as a reckless move and hurt its popularity in Lebanon. A new war may also affect Iran's status in the country, which is of great importance to Hizbullah.
According to the source, Hizbullah would launch a war against Israel only if Iran decides to enter a regional war of its own. He said that in case fighting does erupt, it is likely to take place mainly in the Bekaa Valley, where most of the Shiite militia's forces are concentrated, and not in south Lebanon, where UNIFIL and Lebanese army forces are deployed.
The Asharq Al-Awsat report claimed that following the Second Lebanon War and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which has restricted the movement of Hizbullah terrorists in the area south of the Litani River, the group began transferring some of its forces and weaponry to the area north of the river and to the Bekaa Valley.
