Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel, as the latter threatened to make Lebanon pay an "increasing price" in damage to infrastructure.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when the Tehran-backed militant group attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
kAmQ(6 92G6 AC6A2C65 @FCD6=G6D 7@C 2 =@?8 4@?7C@?E2E:@?[ 2?5 v@5 H:==:?8[ E96J WxDC26=:DX H:== 36 DFCAC:D65 @? E96 32EE=67:6=5[Q "2DD6> D2:5 :? 9:D D64@?5 E6=6G:D65 255C6DD D:?46 E96 =2E6DE H2C 3682?]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2? 6I:DE6?E:2= 32EE=6[ ?@E 2 =:>:E65 @C D:>A=6 32EE=6]Qk^Am
kAmxDC26= @? uC:52J 56DEC@J65 2 3C:586 @G6C E96 {:E2?: #:G6C 36EH66? E96 E@H?D @7 +C2C:J69 2?5 %2JC u2=D2J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ {632?@?VD DE2E6\CF? }2E:@?2= }6HD p86?4J] %96 C:G6C 3:D64ED D@FE96C? {632?@?[ 7C@> 62DE E@ H6DE]k^Am
kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ E96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ 56D4C:365 E96 3C:586 2D 2 Q<6J 4C@DD:?8Q 7@C w6K3@==29 Q7C@> ?@CE96C? E@ D@FE96C? {632?@?[ E@ 3F:=5 FA :ED A@H6C 2?5 AC6A2C6 7@C 4@>32EQ]Â k^Am
kAm%96 2EE24< H2D E96 7:CDE @? {632?6D6 AF3=:4 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 E@ 36 24<?@H=65865 3J xDC26= D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 |:55=6 t2DE H2C]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D ;FDE E96 368:??:?8 2?5 E96 {632?6D6 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 E96 DE2E6 @7 {632?@? H:== A2J 2? :?4C62D:?8 AC:46 :? 52>286 E@ {632?6D6 ?2E:@?2= :?7C2DECF4EFC6 FD65 3J w6K3@==29 E6CC@C:DED[Q E96 xDC26=: s676?46 |:?:DE6C xDC26= z2EK D2:5 @? uC:52J]Â k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 {632?@? H@F=5 DF776C Q=@DD @7 E6CC:E@CJ \\ F?E:= :E 7F=7:=D :ED 46?EC2= 4@>>:E>6?E @7 5:D2C>:?8 w6K3@==29Q]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D H66<[ {632?6D6 !C6D:56?E y@D6A9 p@F? @776C65 E@ ?68@E:2E6 5:C64E=J H:E9 xDC26=[ 3FE @? uC:52J 96 D2:5 96 925 ?@E C646:G65 2 C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAmxDC26=: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C q6?;2>:? }6E2?J29F D2:5 @? %9FCD52J 96 E@=5 E96 {632?6D6 8@G6C?>6?E E92E QJ@F 2C6 A=2J:?8 H:E9 7:C6 :7 J@F 4@?E:?F6 2==@H:?8 w6K3@==29 E@ @A6C2E6[ :? G:@=2E:@? @7 J@FC 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 5:D2C> :EQ]k^Am
kAm%96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ 3@>365 D6G6C2= C@25D :? D@FE96C? {632?@? @? uC:52J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 @77:4:2= }2E:@?2= }6HD p86?4J[ 3=@4<:?8 2446DD 7C@> E96 ?@CE9 @7 E96 {:E2?: #:G6C 2?5 7C@> E96 q6<22 G2==6J[ 2? 62DE6C? 2C62 w6K3@==29 FD6D E@ EC2?DA@CE H62A@?CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 }}p 2=D@ C6A@CE65 E92E xDC26=: D96==D 9:E E96 &?:E65 }2E:@?D x?E6C:> u@C46 :? {632?@?VD }6A2=6D6 32EE2=:@? :? E96 3@C56C E@H? @7 |2JD 2=\y232=]k^Am
k9am\ V$E@A E96 H2CV \k^9am
kAm&} 49:67 p?E@?:@ vFE6CC6D 42==65 @? xDC26= 2?5 E96 xC2?\324<65 w6K3@==29 E@ QDE@A E96 H2CQ 2E E96 DE2CE @7 2 G:D:E E@ q6:CFE @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAmQ|J DEC@?8 2AA62= E@ E9@D6 A2CE:6D[ E@ w6K3@==29 2?5 E@ xDC26=[ :D 7@C 2 462D67:C6 E@ DE@A E96 H2C[Q vFE6CC6D D2:5]k^Am
kAmvFE6CC6D =2F?4965 2 Sbad >:==:@? 9F>2?:E2C:2? 2AA62= E@ DFAA@CE {632?@? 2D :E C6DA@?5D E@ E96 5:DA=246>6?E @7 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6 3J E96 H2C]k^Am
kAmxDC26=: DEC:<6D 4@?E:?F65 @? uC:52J[ :?4=F5:?8 2? 2EE24< E92E <:==65 6:89E A6@A=6 :? E96 D@FE9 {632?6D6 G:==286 @7 |:J69 H |:J69 ?62C E96 A@CE 4:EJ @7 $:5@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 962=E9 >:?:DECJ]k^Am
kAmx? E96 ?62C3J G:==286 @7 xC<6J[ |@92>>25 %2B: 3FC:65 9:D 7@FC 52F89E6CD[ 2865 D:I E@ `b[ H9@ H6C6 <:==65 :? 2? xDC26=: DEC:<6 @? %9FCD52J 2=@?8 H:E9 7:G6 C6=2E:G6D]k^Am
kAmQ%96 xDC26=: 6?6>J D2JD 6G6CJ 52J E92E :E :D E2C86E:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6[Q 96 E@=5 pu! 2E E96 7F?6C2=[ 9:D 9625 HC2AA65 :? 2 H9:E6 32?5286 2?5 9:D 7246 4@G6C65 :? H@F?5D]k^Am
kAmQxD E9:D E96 :?7C2DECF4EFC6n w2G6 J@F D66? :EnQ 96 2D<65[ 86DEFC:?8 E@ 9:D 52F89E6CDV 3@5:6D]k^Am
kAmQxVG6 =@DE 7@FC 52F89E6CD] x 5@?VE 92G6 2?J @E96CD] +2:?23[ +29C2[ |2=:<2 2?5 *2D>:?2[Q 96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E 96 925 2=D@ =@DE 9:D A2C6?ED[ 3C@E96C[ ?6A96H 2?5 3C@E96C\:?\=2H :? E96 D2>6 DEC:<6]k^Am
kAmx? $2H2?69[ {632?@?VD 962=E9 >:?:DECJ D2:5 E92E 2 DEC:<6 <:==65 EH@ A2C2>65:4D[ @?6 7C@> E96 w6K3@==29\=:?<65 xD=2>:4 w62=E9 r@>>:EE66 2?5 2?@E96C 7C@> E96 #:D2=2 $4@FED 2DD@4:2E:@?[ 277:=:2E65 H:E9 E96 p>2= >@G6>6?E[ 2 w6K3@==29 2==J]k^Am
k9am\ !C@A282?52 =627=6ED \k^9am
kAmw6K3@==29 2=D@ =2F?4965 2EE24<D 282:?DE xDC26=: 7@C46D @? uC:52J[ 2D A2CE @7 H92E :E D2:5 H2D 2 "F5D s2J @A6C2E:@?]Â k^Am
kAm"F5D s2J :D 2? 2??F2= 56>@?DEC2E:@? :? DFAA@CE @7 E96 !2=6DE:?:2? 42FD6 :? xC2?[ @? E96 =2DE uC:52J @7 E96 9@=J >@?E9 @7 #2>252?]Â k^Am
kAmxDC26=VD >:=:E2CJ 2=D@ C6?6H65 :ED 6G24F2E:@? H2C?:?8D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C q6:CFEVD D@FE96C? DF3FC3D[ 2?5 =2F?4965 D6G6C2= DEC:<6D @? E96 2C62 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 }}p]k^Am
kAm~? %9FCD52J :E 925 :DDF65 2 D:>:=2C H2C?:?8[ 6IA2?5:?8 E96 6G24F2E:@? K@?6 :? D@FE96C? {632?@? E@ C6249 >@C6 E92? c_ <:=@>6EC6D 7C@> E96 {632?@?\xDC26= 3@C56C]k^Am
kAmxDC26=: A=2?6D 2=D@ 5C@AA65 =627=6ED @G6C q6:CFE @? uC:52J]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 =627=6ED[ 255C6DD65 E@ E96 {632?6D6 A6@A=6[ D2:5i Q*@F >FDE 5:D2C> w6K3@==29[ xC2?VD D9:6=5Q 2?5 Q{632?@? :D J@FC 564:D:@?[ ?@E D@>6@?6 6=D6VDQ]Â k^Am
kAmDEC\=2C\C:D^?25^54Ak^Am
