Hezbollah warns it could retaliate if Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group warned Saturday that if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue and the Lebanese state does not act to stop them, the group will eventually resort to other alternatives.

Naim Kassem’s comments came a day after Israel launched an attack on Lebanon’s capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. The strike on Beirut came hours after two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward Israel, and Hezbollah denied it had launched them.

There was no immediate response from Israeli officials.

Kassem was supposed to give his speech on Friday to mark Jerusalem Day which is usually held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. However, it was postponed because of the Israeli airstrikes on different parts of Lebanon including a suburb of the capital. Jerusalem Day is an annual international day launched by Iran’s first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979 in which Iranians and many of their allies show support for the Palestinians.

Read more: CBS News