Lebanon's Hezbollah slams Israeli attack on Gaza

Beirut, Nov 9: Lebanon's Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel only three months ago, condemned today the Jewish state's offensive in Gaza and urged fellow Arabs to supply financial, military and medical aid to the Palestinians.

Israeli artillery shells killed 18 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun today, local officials and witnesses said, in the deadliest single Israeli attack on Palestinians in four years.

''Where are the Arabs? Where are the Arab rulers? ... Where is the scream of anger in the face of the butchers to repel them and make them feel that continuing to kill will bring them to their end?'' Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said.

''The least of the duties of the nation and people at this stage is to strongly condemn the crimes of the Zionists ... and to work for an end to the blockade against the Palestinian people. Money, arms and medicines must reach these steadfast people ...'' he said in a statement.

Israeli ground forces pulled out of Beit Hanoun yesterday after a week-long operation aimed at curbing rocket attacks. At least 52 Palestinians were killed during the offensive.

Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Muslim group whose guerrillas fought a 34-day war with Israel in July and August, criticised Arab leaders for doing too little to stop what it said were repeated attacks against the Arabs.

Israel launched and air and ground attack on Lebanon after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12, whom it hopes to swap for Lebanese held in Israeli prisons. Over 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and some 157 Israelis were killed in the war.

''Once again we are shaken by the images of limbs and blood and tears ... and the world stands silent,'' Nasrallah said.

''The savage massacre committed by the Zionists in Beit Hanoun today is new proof of the racism and wantonness of this enemy and the nature of its aggression and criminality, coming on top of a moving series of massacres especially in Palestine and Lebanon.''

REUTERS