Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah reiterated his promise on Wednesday to avenge the assassination of his deputy Imad Mughniyeh, for which he blames Israel. Mughniyeh, the Hezbollah operations chief, was killed in a Damascus car bombing in February. Israel has denied involvement in the incident.
The editor of the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar Ibrahim al-Amin quoted Nasrallah as saying "We have not abandoned our commitment to avenge the assassination, nor have we abandoned the big surprise that awaits our enemies." According to the report, Nasrallah made the remarks during a Hezbollah leadership meeting several days ago.
Nasrallah's remarks echoed the Lebanese militia's threat, published by al-Amin on Monday, that a "big surprise" awaits Israel should it decide to engage in another conflict with the group.
Al-Amin, who usually uses reliable sources from within Hezbollah, warned that Israel needs to seriously consider the ramifications of a future attack on Lebanon in an article published under the headline "Israel is threatening to destroy Lebanon. What will happen during wartime?"
The article was a response to comments made by senior Israel Defense Forces officers last week, who said that Israel will use "disproportionate force" in its next conflict with Hezbollah.