Nasrallah: Hezbollah in worst state since 1982 onslaught by Israel
The Hezbollah leader said that now is the time for mobilization. He called on everyone "who enjoys a reputation of integrity" to contribute.
By JPOST.COM STAFFHassan Nasrallah(photo credit: HO / AL-MANAR TV / AFP)
Hassan Nasrallah said his Hezbollah organization is in a dire state – its worst since the onslaught of the First Lebanon War in 1982 – and is on the brink of mobilizing its troops for reinforcement in a battle for survival, the Beirut-based daily As-Safir reported on Saturday.Nasrallah said his party is fighting an existential battle against Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria and on Lebanon’s border.Also challenging Hezbollah’s regime are Sunni Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which he said have joined forces against his Lebanese Shi’ite group.He compared Hezbollah’s current status to its state in 1982, following Israel’s Operation Peace for Galilee and occupation of southern Lebanon.“Then, just like today, we were faced with an existential crisis,” he said. “We defeated the Zionists and we will defeat the extremist groups fighting us now.”Now is the time for mobilization, the Hezbollah leader said. He called on everyone “who enjoys a reputation of integrity” to contribute.Naim Qassem, deputy leader of the terrorist group, said the Middle East is at risk of partition and that he sees no end to the war in Syria, where it is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad against insurgents supported by his regional enemies.“Solutions for Syria are suspended.There is no political solution in the foreseeable period, and it is left to attrition, to the battlefield, and to wait for other developments in the region, particularly Iraq,” he said.Reuters contributed to this report.