NEW DELHI: Following Israel’s announcement of the killing of Hassan Nasrallah’s successors, Lebanon’s Ambassador to India Rabie Narsh cited Mahatma Gandhi’s words and said Hezbollah is a legitimate political party supported by the people and cannot be eliminated.
“I am reminded of Mahatma Gandhi’s words: You can kill a revolutionary, but you cannot kill the revolution. You can eliminate the leaders of Hezbollah, but you cannot eliminate Hezbollah, because it is the people on the ground. It is not an imaginary structure that came to Lebanon by parachute,” the ambassador said in an interview.
Narsh added that Hezbollah embodies a movement against the “rogue state” of Israel and cannot be crushed by eliminating its leaders.
In a video message on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s forces have effectively targeted and eliminated potential successors to the recently deceased Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah formally came into existence in 1985 to resist the “Israeli invasion of Lebanon”.
“Hezbollah operates within the established political system in Lebanon. They are a political party, represented in both the cabinet and the parliament,” the ambassador said, noting that Hezbollah also has an armed wing.
The Lebanese ambassador said the brutal war waged by Israel, involving advanced weaponry and banned munitions, has left over 2,100 dead, 11,000 injured, and 2.2 million individuals displaced, creating a dire humanitarian situation in Lebanon.
“The situation is escalating and spiralling toward what may become an all-out regional war. Unfortunately, we are facing this troubling stage of conflict because Israel has not been held accountable for its criminal policies, war crimes, and expansionist actions against its neighbours,” the ambassador said.
Narsh said Lebanon has been urging world capitals, including New Delhi, since October last year to prevent the conflict from escalating into a regional war.
Amid the rise in Israeli attacks, French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced that France will host an international conference this month to raise humanitarian aid for Lebanon and improve security in its southern regions.
“We are currently organising medical supplies to Lebanon from India, including medicines and medical equipment,” the ambassador said.
He called upon India to exert more pressure on Israel to comply with international laws and UN resolutions.
“Netanyahu is out of control, engaged in killing and a destruction spree, which is very dangerous. Someone has to stop Netanyahu,” he said.