Hezbollah not seeking war with Israel — Nasrallah

Nasrallah says Hezbollah does not want war with Israel, and certainly not in the near future, according to a Channel 2 translation.

But he claims Hezbollah could defeat Israel in a war.

And he is adamant that Israel knows it cannot quickly defeat Hezbollah and therefore doesn’t start a war.

He quotes an unnamed Israeli official who ostensibly has said that were Hezbollah to hit one of the Haifa area’s ammonia facilities, it would have an impact like a nuclear bomb, causing tens of thousands of Israeli fatalities.

He says, in remarks he addresses to Israel’s chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, that Israel’s air force can do what it wishes in Lebanon, “but I can hit the ammonia facilities.” He says he did not attempt to do this in the 2006 war.

Nasrallah also accuses Israel of behind-the-scenes intervention in Syria. He warns the Saudis not to ally with Israel over Syria. And he says victory is close in Syria. “We won’t let Assad fall,” he vows.

“Israel is coordinating with Saudi Arabia and Turkey,” he claims.