Hezbollah leader says missiles will rain down on Israel if it continues war against Lebanon

(Patria) - Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem yesterday, in a televised speech, directly threatened Israel for the first time in months, saying missiles will rain down on it if it continues the war against Lebanon.

His comments came as the Lebanese cabinet met to discuss the fate of Hezbollah's arsenal, as Washington pressured Lebanese officials to commit to disarming the Iran-backed group, and amid fears Israel could intensify its attacks if they did not, Reuters reported.

Qassem said that if Israel launches a "large-scale aggression" against Lebanon, Hezbollah, the Lebanese army, and the Lebanese people will defend themselves.

"This defense will lead to missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built for eight months will collapse within an hour," he said.

A ceasefire brokered by the United States in November ended months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. A large part of Hezbollah's leadership was killed, including Qassem's predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, and a large part of its arsenal was destroyed.

Qassem said that 5,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed and 13,000 wounded in the war, the first official figures released by the group. However, he said the organization remained in good condition, with fighters ready to endure "the harshest sacrifices" if necessary.

Minutes after he spoke, dozens of men on motorcycles carrying yellow Hezbollah flags emerged from their strongholds in the southern suburbs of Beirut for the second consecutive day.

Washington and Beirut have been negotiating since June on a US roadmap for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah in exchange for an end to Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying five points in southern Lebanon, and funds to rebuild areas destroyed by Israeli bombing.

But with little progress on disarmament, Washington's patience has begun to wane, and it has pressured Lebanese ministers to quickly make a public commitment so that negotiations can continue.

Qassem opposed the conditions, saying Israel must fully implement the ceasefire by stopping military activities in Lebanon before any other discussion.

"Resolve the issue of (Israeli) aggression, and then we will discuss the issue of weapons," he said.

Addressing Lebanese officials, he said: "I hope you will not waste time on storms caused by external dictates."