Hezbollah Ready to Repel Israeli Military Aggression: Deputy Sec Gen

In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Sheikh Qassem said that the resistance movement "is ready to confront the aggression if it happens, if Israel decides to carry out any foolish action."
 
"We have declared repeatedly and frequently that we, as the resistance, work to have permanent readiness and we are ready to confront the Israeli aggression if it happens, and therefore we are ready to defend ourselves by all available means,” he added, noting, "We are working to fortify our front, and to be ready."
 
Circumstances of War
 
Sheikh Qassem, however, said Hezbollah did not expect the Israeli regime to launch a war for now on Lebanon, saying “it does not appear that the circumstances are for an Israeli decision for war."
 
The Israeli regime has waged three wars on Lebanon — in 1982, 2000, and 2006. It has also carried out assassinations in the Lebanese territory.
 
Since its establishment in 1985, Hezbollah has helped the army defend Lebanon both in the face of foreign aggression, including in the 2000 and 2006 wars, and against terrorism.
 
The remarks come as Israeli regime has been violating Lebanon’s airspace on an almost daily basis, carrying out what it calls "routine reconnaissance missions."
 
In Syria, however, he said it was possible Israeli regime would conduct further “limited” attacks. “The Syrian government has taken the decision to respond to this type of attack,” he added.
 
Syria’s air defenses last month shot down an intruding Israeli F-16 in an unprecedented move.
 
The deputy Hezbollah leader however did not expect the Syria war to lead to a direct confrontation between major powers.
 
“It is clear that all the parties and their allies view that it is in their interests not to have a direct confrontation between America and Russia, and they have rules of engagement that they have studied together and are abiding by,” he said.
 
President Assad part of solution
 
Elsewhere in his remarks, Sheikh Qassem also said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could not be forced out of an eventual settlement of the crisis in the Arab country. 
 
"There is no solution in Syria under the title of 'excluding President Assad'. On the contrary, the solution in Syria is with President Assad, and he is the mandatory channel for the solution,” he stressed.
 
Sheikh Qassem also stressed that the Damascus government and his allies had won the war by defeating a US-led plot to destroy Syria. "Syria has won the military battle, which will help them … win the political battle."
 
He also said that ISIS Takfiri terrorists who had sought to make Syria part of their "caliphate" had received a heavy blow and lost territories they held.
 
Hezbollah to stay in Syria
 
Sheikh Qassem said Hezbollah would stay in Syria as long as necessary. “If we reach a political solution, of course Hezbollah will return to Lebanon,” he said.
 
He added that ISIS terrorists who had sought to make Syria part of their “caliphate” had received a heavy blow and lost territories they held.