Qassem Says Hizbullah Missiles Deterring Israel

Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has announced that Hizbullah missiles that can “target every point” in Israel are “deterring” Israel.

“Since the year 2006, the Zionist enemy has been deterred by the strength of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon and by Hizbullah’s decision,” Qassem said in an interview with an Iranian newspaper.

“The Israeli domestic front, even Tel Aviv, and every point in the Zionist entity can be targeted by Hizbullah’s missiles,” Hizbullah number two added, suggesting that his group has precision-guided missiles in its arsenal.

“In their discussions, the Zionists cannot bear this level, that’s why the idea of war on Lebanon will not be on the table. Even when they analyze and threaten, they say if Hizbullah attacks us, which means that they would do a reaction and not an action. The rules of engagement that Hizbullah has created in Lebanon and the rules of deterrence have made the idea of a war initiated by Israel against Lebanon very difficult,” Qassem explained.

His remarks come amid heightened tensions sparked by an Israeli engineering operation on Lebanon’s border aimed at “neutralizing” alleged “attack tunnels” dug by Hizbullah across the frontier.

The operation was launched on Tuesday and Hizbullah has not yet issued an official comment on the development.