Supporters of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gather on Wednesday in Adaisseh village near the border with Israel to mark the commemoration of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. (Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah ended his Liberation and Resistance day address Wednesday on an ominous note, saying “within days, things may happen in the region that will lead to an explosion of the region” and calling for “anticipation, attention and preparation for what might happen around us.”
He offered a hint of what his prediction entails by adding that “any attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock will explode the situation in the region and lead to unimaginable consequences.” The Islamic religious sites in Jerusalem have been the target of Israeli assaults in recent weeks.
On the domestic front Nasrallah castigated political rivals for what he deemed their preoccupation with Hezbollah amidst the country’s many crises, saying that it stems from “irresponsibility” on their part and the public is more concerned with the country’s currency woes.
He also made what could be considered an oblique reference to the self-described “soveriegntist” forces, including former Israeli ally Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, that contested the recent parliamentary elections on an anti-Hezbollah platform, saying “it is necessary to show who resisted the occupation and who conspired against his countrymen … not to open wounds but to prevent outbursts and prove who is the sovereigntist.”
Assessing his party’s position in light of recent events, including elections in which Hezbollah and its allies are thought to have lost their parliamentary majority, Nasrallah declared that his party has never been stronger than they are today.