Violence will not stop in Middle East until Gaza war ends, senior Hezbollah figure warns

19 April 2024, 17:32 | Updated: 20 April 2024, 04:42

Violence in the Middle East will not stop until the war in Gaza ends, a senior Hezbollah figure has told Sky News in a world-first interview in which he also castigated the West and scoffed at Israel's actions.

Ibrahim Moussawi, a Hezbollah spokesperson, also warned Israel "will see results" if they continue provoking Iran.

"Nobody has an interest in going into an open confrontation, comprehensive war in the region, because this might lead to other things. This is not because the Western side has an awakening of humanity or whatever," he said.

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"This is because it doesn't boil down to their interest, it does not suit their policies.

"At the same time, we don't want, as well, to have a comprehensive confrontation from our side. But if it is imposed, they see and we will see the kind of results that will unfold."

Mr Moussawi added: "If things escalated into a larger scale, everybody has to understand that just like what the West is doing, all of these governments and armies and countries supplying Israel, then the Axis [of Resistance] will fight as an Axis.

"I believe if the Israelis put us in a position or any situation where we have to manifest this again, they will see it [Iran and Hezbollah's military capacity]."

Speaking about a possible end to hostilities in the region, Mr Moussawi said the responsibility lies with the West.

"In order to reach an agreement, they have to stop the aggressor. They have to stop Netanyahu and this bunch of idiots who are in the occupied Palestine to stop their genocidal war.

"Then you'll see clearly that the fronts will come down," he said.

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He also blamed Western countries for escalating the crisis in the region and claimed they are complicit in the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"If you want to see things go into calmness again, go stop the Israeli aggression. You have the way to stop the Israeli aggression," he said.

"You know, I know, everybody knows that they wait for the military ammunitions and supplies from the United States, from the West, to continue to kill the children and women in Gaza.

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"No one in the Western governments is ready to stop supplying Israel with ammunitions, and at the same time, they drop what they call a few portions of food on the heads of the people and they kill them, and at the same time they send rockets to Israel to kill them.

"This is a complete fiasco - it does not work."

Mr Moussawi's comments come after an Israeli strike close to a major military airbase and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan this morning.

He played down the strikes against Iran, saying he has "never heard of such a thing" and he had "heard it in the news".

"My understanding is that the Israelis, up till now, they want to save their face," he said.