Ynetnews: Fear that Hezbollah will use stormy weather to attack Israel/Hariri Slams Nasrallah Anti-Saudi Remarks

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Fear that Hezbollah will use stormy weather to attack Israel
Ynetnews Reporters/January 03/16/The IDF has been firing into open areas in the Lebanese border region in order to prevent the terrorist organization from perpetrating revenge attacks over the assassination of Samir Kuntar. For the past few days, the IDF has been performing controlled bombings in the Lebanese border region. These include artillery fire into open areas, and are meant to prevent Hezbollah from exploiting the stormy weather Israel has been experiencing lately in order to execute attacks aimed at avenging Samir Kuntar, a senior Hezbollah member who was recently assassinated. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has publically accused Israel of being responsible for killing Kuntar. Nasrallah continues to threaten Israel, saying in a Sunday speech that “The power of Samir al-Kuntar’s blood still forces the soldiers and officers of the enemy to hide in burrows all along the border. They wait and we wait. They are afraid. Now the rain has come and put an even heavier load on them. They are trapped even more in their burrows, but we are waiting too, and Allah loves those who wait.” He added that “it’s important that they understand that the murder of our brothers and shedding of our blood will not pass by easily, and the Israelis should be fearful and hide.” Nasrallah ended by saying, “The response is coming, it Allah wills it.” This was the third time Nasrallah threatened to avenge the Kuntar assassination. He warned Israel in similar fashion during Kuntar’s memorial that happened a week after his death.
IDF Chief of General Staff Gadi Eizenkot warned Hezbollah last week, saying: “Our soldiers stand in the face of murderous terrorism every day with courage and determination. Beyond our borders as well, in the face of the threats from the north, we are prepared for any challenge.
“As we proved in the past, we will be able to strike at anyone who wishes to hurt us. Our enemies know that if they attempt to shake Israel’s security they will bear the severe consequences.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week, in a hinted message following Nasrallah’s threats to avenge Kuntar’s death, that “We are working against those who work against us, and all of our enemies should know that we will respond aggressively to any attack on us.”
**Yoav Zitun, Ahiya Raved and Roi Kais contributed to this report.

Hariri Slams Nasrallah Anti-Saudi Remarks: Hizbullah Acting as if in Charge of All Shiites in the World
Naharnet/December 03/16/ Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri was quick to hit back at anti-Saudi remarks by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, accusing the party of “acting as if it is in charge of all Shiites in the world.”Hariri’s remarks followed Nasrallah’s condemnation of the kingdom’s execution of top Shiite dissident Nimr al-Nimr. Riyadh’s move prompted Hizbullah’s leader to launch one of his fiercest verbal attacks to date against Saudi Arabia. “It is extremely regrettable that some in Lebanon are attacking the kingdom and its leadership in an unacceptable and detestable manner,” Hariri said in a press release. “Some are talking about Saudi Arabia and its role as if they are talking about themselves and about the situation in Iran and the Iranian people’s suffering,” he added. He noted that Nasrallah’s remarks about “oppression, tyranny, terrorism, murder, criminality, executions, destruction, displacement, blocking dialogue, massacres, interference in others’ affairs, sectarian sedition and the elimination of opponents … actually and truly apply to the practices of the Iranian regime and its expansion scheme.”
Hariri also pointed out that anti-Saudi accusations apply to “the Syrian regime’s practices against its own people,” adding that “Iran and its tools are fighting alongside this regime, which is executing hundreds of thousands of its citizens and displacing millions of them without any trials or religious and human justifications.”Iran-backed Hizbullah has sent thousands of fighters across the border to aid the Syrian regime against an Islamist-led uprising. Iran has also dispatched advisers and elite forces. Continuing his criticism of Hizbullah, Hariri claimed that the party “is as usual acting as if it is in charge of all Shiites in the world, from Nigeria to Bahrain and from India and Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states.” “Following the footsteps of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hizbullah is relying on a false political authority to encroach on the borders and national sovereignty of nearby and distant countries,” Hariri charged. He stressed that “sectarian motives are governing the behavior of Iran and its cronies.” Addressing Nasrallah, Hariri added that “insistence on interfering in the internal affairs of brotherly counties and insulting the brothers and their leaders and symbols is unacceptable.”He warned that such alleged behavior would aggravate sectarian tensions in Lebanon and allow foreign forces to “meddle in our domestic affairs.”Noting that he is confident that Saudi Arabia will remain “keen on Lebanon’s safety and stability,” Hariri said Riyadh “will not heed the fallacies that are being launched against it.”
“It will maintain its pledges on aiding Lebanon and preserving its national unity regardless of the campaigns of incitement against it,” Hariri added. Cautioning the kingdom’s supporters in Lebanon against being “dragged to sectarian exchanges,” Hariri called on “some of the leaders of the Shiite sect in Lebanon” to “cooperate through rejecting the ongoing efforts to inflame sentiments.”
He also called on them to “abide by wisdom in approaching the current challenges and to protect domestic stability.” “The execution (Saturday) of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr reveals to the world the real criminal, takfiri and terrorist face of Saudi Arabia,” Nasrallah said earlier in the day. Stressing that al-Nimr’s approach was “peaceful throughout his life,” Nasrallah noted that the executed cleric was “a reformist man who demanded the rights of the people of the Arabian Peninsula.”Nimr, 56, was a force behind anti-government protests in Saudi Arabia in 2011 in the east of the country. He was executed along with 46 other men — Shiite activists and Sunnis who the Saudi interior ministry said were involved in al-Qaida killings. Some were beheaded and others were shot by firing squad.