From the Liveblog of
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Nasrallah urges pressure on US to halt Israeli offensive; says only US, UK with Israel now
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Hezbollah terror group leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a lengthy address, says global demonstrations against Israel over the war in Gaza are putting pressure on the Jewish state and allies.
“We see thousands of people in Washington, New York, London and Paris protesting against Israel,” Nasrallah says, adding that Western leaders who initially condemned Hamas over the October 7 massacres are now urging a ceasefire. “The only voice that stands out is the US and its ‘follower’ the UK.”
Nasrallah calls for international pressure to be directed at the US.
Commenting on the ongoing summit in Riyadh, Nasrallah says: “The Arab and Islamic summit brings together 57 Arab and Islamic states. Palestinians and other people of the region have their eyes on this summit.”
Nasrallah says these countries will not send soldiers to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, but peoples of the region expect the Arab and Muslim world to at least adopt a unified position and demand from the Americans to put an end to the Israeli offensive, open a corridor to deliver aid and provide medical treatment, “even while Gaza continues to fight.”
Noting regional backing for Hamas, Nasrallah says that “hope lies in the support by various fronts, especially the West Bank.” He praises the “brave decision” by Yemen Houthi rebels and their leaders, who have sent missiles and drones against Israel.
He further mentions recents assaults against US forces in Iraq and Syria, saying “the ongoing operations contribute to the liberation of the two countries from the US occupation, but the immediate goal is to achieve a halt to the [Israeli] attack on Gaza.”
Addressing the Biden administration, Nasrallah adds: “If you want to put an end to attacks on this secondary front [in Iraq and Syria], you must impose an end to the [Israeli] attack on Gaza.”
