Lebanon's Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday vowed his Lebanese movement is ready to fight a new war with Israel, as the Jewish state plans to hold large-scale military drills in the next few weeks. "There is a possibility, albeit small, that Israel may be preparing to launch a new surprise war and is readying its people for such an eventuality," Nasrallah said in his speech.
"If Israel plans on pulling anything during the manoeuvres (May 31 to June 4), we're sending it a message that we stand ready and they will fail," he added. "We will not bury our heads in the sand. "We must take preventive measures for the duration of the manoeuvres."
The Shiite leader said the military exercises, which Israel has described as one of its largest ever, may be a "psychological message" aimed at restoring the Israeli people's faith in their state and army in the wake of the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah. "The manoeuvres could also be a scare tactic aimed at sending a strong message to the region," he said. "Israel wants to relay a regional and global message that it is still strong," Nasrallah said.
