Lebanese writer and political analyst Qassem Kassir said that if Israel continues to escalate through its incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, this would lead the region to an all-out war, which will not stop at the Palestinian side alone.
And he believed – in his speech to the “Beyond the News” program (6/4/2023) – that all the resistance fronts in the region will be on the opposite side of the Israeli occupation if its aggression continues, adding that during the last period joint meetings were held between the leaders of the resistance, and it was agreed not to Silence on the Israeli escalation if it continues.
This came against the backdrop of the injury of 3 Israelis as a result of rockets from Lebanon, Israel said that there were 34 of them, and that its army intercepted 25 of them, while the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” in Lebanon was accused of launching them, and Lebanon was considered responsible for what happened.
For its part, the Lebanese authorities confirmed their readiness to cooperate with the UN forces in southern Lebanon, and to take appropriate measures to restore calm and stability.
Kassir considered that what happened presents a clear message related to what is happening in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and confirms that any escalation targeting Al-Aqsa will not keep the borders calm, neither in Lebanon nor in the entire region, pointing to a statement he made. Recently Head of the Executive Council of Hezbollah, Hashem Safieddine, that targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque “will push hundreds of millions of Muslims to confront Israel.”
He believed that keeping those responsible for firing those rockets unknown until now, and the lack of clear data indicating the port, is indicative, which is that it is not important who fired the rockets, but what is important is that it comes at an appropriate moment that prompts the Israelis to realize that the continuation of the escalation will not go unpunished.
He added, “We are facing an extremist government that is pushing the region to escalate, and what happened is a simple act in the face of what Israel is doing in terms of aggression and escalation, and what is happening in the region now does not mean one side without another, whether official or popular Lebanon, as we are facing a fateful battle that concerns everyone.”
He pointed out that until now it has not yet been clear what the nature of the response that the Israelis intend to do, but some information indicates the possibility of targeting Palestinian camps or centers in Lebanon, stressing that if this happens, it is not possible to neutralize Hezbollah, which was announced more than once by its Secretary-General. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that any targeting in Lebanon will be answered by the resistance.
Multiple messages
In turn, Dr. Mustafa Al-Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, held the Israeli government, and behind it the public of the occupying entity that elected it, responsible for the recent developments that would detonate the situation in the region, adding that “the brutal crimes committed by Israel against worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque confirm responsible for the escalation.”
And he considered that the firing of missiles from Lebanon towards Israel sends multiple messages, including that Israel is not immune from being held accountable for the crimes it commits, that the Palestinian people are not isolated, and that if Israel takes another escalatory response, that escalation will have much greater reactions. Israel will suffer greatly from it.
In this context, Barghouti warned that it is possible that Israel would strike the camps in Lebanon or attack the Gaza Strip, in light of its continued attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling on the Palestinian forces to unite in the face of these attacks.
Concerning the American position, Dr. Charles Dunn – the former American diplomat in Israel – explained that the United States is concerned with calm in the region because of its deep concern that the situation will explode due to its sensitivity and gravity, as it is keen to keep the situation under control so that no more victims fall on both sides. .
He added that Washington could exert more public pressure on Israel, by taking decisive and strict stances towards the violence at Al-Aqsa, and calling on all parties to exercise restraint.
However, he stressed at the same time that it would exert pressure on the regional parties that influence the Palestinian factions with regard to firing rockets, in order to pressure them to force these factions to calm the situation and refrain from escalation.
