Hamas terrorists were “trained in Lebanon, Syria and Iran” according to a Hezbollah official. The information was divulged in an interview Egyptian website Al-Masir conducted with Hassan Hoballah, a Hezbollah official in charge of Palestinian relations. In the interview the Hezbollah official mentioned that the group “has an alliance with the Palestinian resistance on every level” and “aids the Palestinian resistance with everything it has, with weapons and training.”
The Hezbollah official noted that while Hezbollah has no intention of turning the war with Israel into a regional conflict, it could escalate the war into a broader one if Hamas is defeated or Palestinians are expelled from Gaza.
“I believe that the war is nearing its end because the Zionist entity has used all the brutal force at its disposal, including [by waging] a ground war and [using] commando forces and all these operations failed. And the United States, which is managing this campaign along with Israel, has started to demand that Netanyahu replace his extremist government and his war cabinet. I do not deny the existence of immense difficulties in Gaza, but [the Gazans will remain] patient and steadfast until victory is achieved, Allah willing,” Hoballah said when asked whether he sees the conflict with Israel expanding into a larger war.
Hoballah’s interview with Al-Masir came as Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Na’im Qassem told the same outlet that the terrorist group would join the conflict against Israel if Hamas were defeated or Gazans were expelled.
Qassem added that the present war with Israel will not be the final one and that the next war will involve the entire “resistance axis,” including the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies. Hoballah went on to explain that if the entirety of Hezbollah enters the conflict, it will “turn from a war for the liberation of Palestine into a regional war,” which, according to him, would “end with a regional agreement, a ceasefire agreement or an international resolution, and then the Palestinian right will be lost.”
“As long as the [Palestinian] resistance is in the lead and has not been defeated, we will continue the limited conflict,” he said. However, Hoballah noted that if “things head in the direction of a complete defeat for Hamas, we will enter a comprehensive war, for we will not allow the defeat of the Palestinian resistance, and especially of Hamas, which is the goal [of Israel’s] offensive.”
The Foreign Desk notes Hezbollah media denied that Hoballah was interviewed by Al-Masir, even though the article includes pictures of Hoballah with the outlet’s editors.
