BEIRUT, Lebanon – The leader of Hezbullah accused Israel on Friday of being behind a string of killings of in Lebanon, saying the Jewish state was trying to foment strife between his Islamic militant movement and other Lebanese communities. Supporters of Lebanon’s government and others have repeatedly blamed Syria for the killings, charging Syria wants to bring down Prime minister Fouad Senioura by killing off lawmakers who give him a slim parliamentary majority.
"The hand that is killing is Israel’s," Nasrallah told thousands of supporters who occasionally interrupted his speech with roars of approval.He said that "Israel has a sure interest in the assassinations" because it "is the prime beneficiary of any internal strife in Lebanon" between factions opposed to Syrian influence and those who are friends of the Damascus regime like Hezbollah.
Nasrallah, who keeps his whereabouts secret for fear Israel would try to kill him as it killed his predecessor in 1992, spoke over a video linkup and did not personally attend the rally. There were no responses to Associated Press calls for comment to Israeli government officials in Jerusalem and the Israeli Embassy in Washington because offices had closed for the Jewish sabbath.