Lebanese FM: “Israeli” Escalations Risk All-Out War, Hezbollah Entitled to Retaliate

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has cautioned that “Israel’s” aggressive actions could ignite an all-out war in the West Asia region.

Bou Habib called on the United Nations to “intensify its efforts to halt the ‘Israeli’ aggression against Lebanon and to prevent the region from descending into a cycle of retaliatory responses” that could lead to a full-scale regional conflict.

He made these remarks during a meeting with Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, on Monday.

Bou Habib also reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to the full and comprehensive implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, emphasizing that it is “the only solution to bring calm to southern Lebanon.”

Since October 7, the “Israeli” entity has been conducting numerous sporadic attacks against southern Lebanon as part of its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

In its most brazen attack against Lebanon since the start of the Gaza onslaught, the entity assassinated Sayyed Fouad Shokor, a senior Hezbollah military commander, in a strike on a building in a Beirut suburb on Tuesday.

Hezbollah has vowed to continue its retaliatory operations as long as Tel Aviv persists in its assault on Gaza, which has so far martyred 39,623 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 91,469 others.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday that Hezbollah has the right to respond to the “Israeli” aggression, noting that the entity has been deliberately violating the rules of engagement by targeting civilians and areas deep inside Lebanese territories.

Berri added that the current “sensitive” situation requires “the highest level of unity” among the Lebanese people to protect the country against “Israeli” threats.

Earlier, Berri stated that "in response to any ‘Israeli’ aggression against Lebanon, we will be on the frontlines, alongside the Amal and Hezbollah movements, to confront it.”

Hezbollah officials have consistently said they do not seek war with “Israel,” while stressing their readiness if war occurs.

Two “Israeli” wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the entity in both conflicts.