Hezbollah urges Saudi Arabia to reconcile, unite against Israel amid strikes

Hezbollahs SecretaryGeneral Naim Qassem has appealed to Saudi Arabia to restore relations with the Lebanese armed group and build a joint front against Israel Al Jazeera reportedThe appeal came on Friday as Israel intensified its strikes on southern Lebanon Qassem called on Riyadh to open a new page with Hezbollah built on three principles dialogue to resolve disputes and address concerns recognition that Israel and not the resistance is the enemy and freezing of past disagreementsHe stressed that Hezbollahs arms were directed only at Israel Not Lebanon not Saudi Arabia and not any other place or party in the world he saidQassem warned that pressure on Hezbollah would only aid Israel He said that if the resistance was eliminated the turn will come for the other states Al Jazeera reportedTensions between Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah have endured for years rooted in the broader rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran Hezbollahs main backer In 2016 the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC led by Saudi Arabia designated Hezbollah a terrorist group over its support for Bashar alAssad in Syria and its backing of Yemens HouthisQassem described Israel as a colonial entity backed first by Britain and now by the United States and accused it of committing atrocities He said Israel had reached the height of barbarity carrying out crimes with US support in disregard of international lawHe argued that soft war sanctions and the Abraham Accords had failed to give the US and Israel a decisive win And so for them genocide became the solution he said according to Al JazeeraQassem said Israels September 9 strike on Qatar was a turning point What comes after the strike on Qatar is different from what came before he said questioning US credibility When the US openly declares that it acts in Israels interest how can we trust any American or nonAmerican proposal or accept to make concession after concessionThe US has been pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah under a ceasefire agreement brokered in November 2024 Qassem said the group was open to talks from a position of strength while reaffirming its unshakable commitment to resist Israeli occupation and liberate landHis comments came two days after Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence pact with nucleararmed Pakistan in response to the Israeli attack on Qatar Al Jazeera reportedMeanwhile Lebanons Ministry of Health said two people were killed and 11 others injured in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday One strike targeted a car near a public hospital in Tebnin while another hit a vehicle in AnsarThe Israeli military claimed it killed Hezbollah commander Ammar Hayel Qutaybani in the south without giving details of the location It also said it killed a member of Hezbollahs elite Radwan force in Tebnin and struck a vessel that was used by Hezbollah to gather intelligence in NaquraThe raids followed Israeli strikes on several southern towns a day earlier with warnings for residents to evacuate Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of intimidation and aggressions that defied last years ceasefire and the international monitoring mechanism attached to itDespite the ceasefire terms Israel has continued neardaily attacks on southern Lebanon The agreement called for Hezbollah to disarm and withdraw north of the Litani River while Israel was expected to fully pull out from Lebanese territory However Israel remains in occupation of at least five positions in the south Al Jazeera reportedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever