Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AFP
Nasrallah: Israel will be 'punished' for al-Laqqis' death
Hezbollah chief delivers speech, aired during memorial ceremony for Hassan al-Laqqis, Shiite group's senior operative who was assassinated early December, says Israel is to blame for murder, group will punish murderers 'sooner or later'
The leader of Lebanon's
Hezbollah
warned Friday that the Israelis would be "punished" for killing a leader of the Shiite party, an assassination in which Israel
has denied any involvement.
"The killing of Hassan al-Laqqis is not a simple matter between us and the Israelis," said Hassan Nasrallah in a speech aired during a tribute ceremony to the assassinated Hezbollah operative.
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"There are scores to settle between us and the Israelis; there are old accounts and new ones," he said.
"The murderers will be punished sooner or later," Nasrallah noted, adding "His blood was not shed in vain. The punishment will take part when we decide. Those who killed will not be safe anywhere in the world. Vengeance is coming."
"If the Israelis think ... that Hezbollah is busy and that Israel will not pay the price, I say to them today, 'You are wrong'," he said.
Nasrallah said that Hassan al-Laqqis, who was shot in the parking lot of his apartment building on December 4, was a "friend and brother" to him.
Laqqis's assassination – a harsh hit on the organization – occurred during a period of time in which the Shiite movement is deeply embroiled in the Syrian civil war, alongside President Bashar Assad.
AFP, Reuters contributed to this report
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