Hezbollah proclaims ‘victory’ over Israel

BEIRUT: Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Wednesday it had achieved “victory” over Israel and that its fighters were at the ready, in its first statement since a truce between the two sides took effect.

“Victory from God almighty was the ally of the righteous cause,” the statement from the Iran-backed group said.

Hezbollah fighters “will remain in total readiness to deal with the Israeli enemy’s ambitions and its attacks”, the statement added, without directly mentioning the truce or its terms.

Israel launched a bombing campaign targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on Sept 23 and later sent in ground troops, after more than a year of cross-border exchanges of fire begun by the Iran-backed group over the Gaza war.

Israel dealt Hezbollah heavy blows during the conflict, including killing longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials.

The Hezbollah statement said Israeli forces failed in their “attempts… to occupy and set up in any of the towns”, to prevent Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks or to “establish a military and security buffer zone as the enemy had hoped”.

It said Hezbollah fighters targeted Israel “until the last day of the aggression”.

The truce deal requires Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, some 30km from the border with Israel, and dismantle its military infrastructure in south Lebanon.