DUBAI, November 2. /TASS/. Israel will have to agree to cease fire in Lebanon in the near future because Hezbollah will not let the Israeli army reach its objectives, a high-ranking Iranian army officer said.
"In the coming days, the Zionist regime (Israel - TASS) will have to accept a ceasefire because this regime’s authorities know full well that their actions in southern Lebanon will not yield the result they want and that their losses will only grow from now on," the ISNA news agency quoted Major General Mohammad Akrminia as saying.
According to the Iranian general, Israel hoped that Hezbollah would fall after the death of a number of its leaders. "But, despite the strong pressure and bombardments, the Zionist regime has failed to occupy a single settlement in southern Lebanon, which demonstrates the success of the Lebanese resistance," he added.
Israel has been delivering massive airstrikes on Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon since September 23, when it launched Operation Northern Arrows. Israel’s declared goal is to create safe conditions in the country’s northern areas so that tens of thousands of local residents could return to their homes. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly killed in Israel’s strike on Beirut on September 27. In the early hours of October 1, Israel announced the launch of a ground operation in Lebanon’s border areas.
On October 29, Hezbollah elected Nasrallah’s deputy, Naim Qassem, as its new leader, who vowed on the following day "to continue fighting against Israel until ultimate victory. He noted however that "if the enemy stops combat operations, Hezbollah would agree on a truce but only on its conditions.".