Hezbollah will not abandon Ali Taher hill, MP vows

SOUTH LEBANON — Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine stated that the movement would not abandon the strategic Ali Taher hill and "would face any act of aggression."

The Israeli army drops explosives on these heights almost daily. Several media outlets report that the Israeli army may be preparing a larger-scale operation to take control of this strategic position.

"Ali Taher is one of the key positions of the Resistance," Ezzeddine said, adding that "the Resistance would fulfill its national duty if Israel attacked the site."

The MP indicated that if aid were to come from Iran in this context, it would constitute an additional source of strength, adding that Tehran "could establish a new equation regarding Ali Taher."

Ezzeddine also said that the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, signed at the end of June, was worthless in Hezbollah’s eyes, emphasizing that "anger in the street exists and continues, but its use awaits the right moment and circumstances."

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Regarding relations between Hezbollah and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Ezzeddine stated that "a convergence of Hezbollah’s and Syria’s wills, as well as the appreciation of both leaderships and the political circumstances, could result in a meeting between the two parties." This position echoes that expressed in early August by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

Since the resumption, on March 2, of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, on the sidelines of the conflict triggered by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran, the Israeli army has killed 4,346 people and wounded 12,301 in southern Lebanon, of which it occupies more than 600 km².

MP Kassem Hachem, from the Amal movement, Hezbollah’s ally, stated in turn that "the expansion by the Israeli enemy of its demolition operations into the most remote areas of Shebaa and Arqoub (Hasbaya district) confirms the continuation of its policy of systematic destruction [...] and its disregard for commitments, agreements and international resolutions."

He also warned against "attempts by the enemy’s leaders to impose a new reality in the region," calling for "greater vigilance and caution in managing the current phase to protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the escalation."