In the Imam Al-Mojtaba mosque complex, hundreds of people from Beirut's southern suburbs sang songs glorifying the "resistance" against Israel on Friday, October 13. Fatima Qaraji and her four daughters waved Palestinian flags. "I'm here for Palestine. Our lives are no more valuable than those of the children of Gaza," said the 37-year-old Lebanese woman, wearing a blue headscarf. Others waved the yellow flag of the Shiite movement Hezbollah (the "Party of God") and portraits of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani – Tehran's head of external operations within the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force and who was killed by an American strike in 2020 – shouting "Death to Israel, death to America," and "Victory to the Palestinian resistance."
On stage, wearing a white turban and a Palestinian keffiyeh around his neck, Sheikh Naïm Qassem, Hezbollah's second-in-command, listed the "crimes" committed by Israel over the past 75 years. He praised the "success" of "Operation Al Aqsa Flood" launched by Hamas on October 7. "We're heading for Al-Quds [Jerusalem], martyrs by the millions," interrupted the crowd, as he mocked Israel's weaknesses – a state "worse than IS" – and the support from America and Europe.
People said they were ready for a war to liberate Palestine. "I would give my soul for this, as would my father, my brother and my future children. We're not afraid," said Batoul Moussa, an 18-year-old student draped in a black abaya. Having lived through the horror of the 2006 war against Israel as a child, she owes her life to Hezbollah. With her mother and sisters, she has started preparing canned food to be given to the fighters. "Here, we don't pack bags to evacuate, we prepare weapons and uniforms. In our own way, we'll support Hezbollah," explained Diab, a young man of 20. "War is not a game, but if it's the price we have to pay to save lives and the Palestinian cause, I'm in 100%."
Hezbollah's leaders are not yet sounding the alarm. "Hezbollah is 100% ready. Calls from the Arab world will not influence our decision. We will get involved according to our plans, the day we have to attack," Sheikh Qassem promised the crowd. From Riyadh's calls for restraint to Washington's warnings, pressure is being exerted on Hezbollah and its sponsor, Iran, to prevent them from opening a second front against Israel, which would lead to a regional explosion.
On Thursday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for the first time since the signing of a détente agreement in March between their two countries. "America wants to let Israel destroy Gaza, and this is a grave mistake. If the Americans want to prevent war from spreading in the region, they must control Israel," said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Beirut on Friday, after his meeting with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Iran still seems reluctant to play this major card in a devastating war.
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