26 May 2021; MEMO: The Secretary-General of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, said yesterday that any violations of Jerusalem and holy sites belonging to Muslims and Christians therein would lead to a regional war.
During a speech marking the 22nd anniversary of Israel's unconditional withdrawal from southern Lebanon, known as Resistance and Liberation Day, Nasrallah congratulated the Palestinian resistance over their victory.
"We are now celebrating two great victories, the 25th of May 2000 in Lebanon and the 21st of May 2021 in Gaza," he said.
The Hezbollah leader also mentioned the recent violations of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem which triggered the latest conflict and social unrest. "The Israelis assumed that the Judaisation procedures in Jerusalem will only be faced with statements and denunciations. They didn't expect that the resistance will take this historic decision."
Referring to the Israelis he stated that "you should be aware that violating Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque is unlike any other violation you practice."
As part of his address, Nasrallah warned that any violation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque or Islamic sites in general must not be faced by the resistance in Gaza only. "The equation must be a regional war for Jerusalem," he explained, stressing that "when Islamic and Christian sanctities face threats there won't be any red lines."
AP reported that Hezbollah's "shadow loomed large during Israel and Hamas' 11-day battle in Gaza", with the possibility that it could unleash its own arsenal of missiles which are far more powerful than those of Hamas.
On Saturday, Hezbollah's deputy head Naim Qassem refused to confirm whether the movement was responsible for firing several rockets from southern Lebanon onto Israel during the recent military aggression against Gaza, although Israeli military intelligence suspect Lebanon-based Palestinian resistance factions were behind the attacks.
