Hezbollah chief congratulates Hamas for victory over Israeli offensive

Source: Xinhua | 01-21-2009 17:47

BEIRUT, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah has congratulated Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement for achieving "victory" over the recent Israeli offensive on Gaza, local al-Nahar daily reported here Wednesday.

Nasrallah made the remarks in a telephone call to Hamas' Damascus-based exile political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal, according to the report.

A statement from Hamas on Tuesday was quoted as saying that Nasrallah greeted "the victory achieved by confronting the Zionist aggression on Gaza."

The Hezbollah chief added that "it is the second time in two and a half years, the Zionist enemy is defeated," referring Hezbollah's 34-day war with Israel in July 2006.

Hezbollah has claimed they had defeated Israel during the 2006 fighting since the latter did not achieve the goals of the war it launched on Hezbollah in South Lebanon.

In the Tuesday statement, Nasrallah also praised the united stands of all rival Palestinian factions against Israel, saying "the heroic confrontation by heroes of the Palestinian resistance who were united in the field."

During the recent Israeli offensive started on Dec. 27, 2008, over 1,300 Palestinians were killed and some 5,500 others wounded.

On Jan. 18, both Israel and Gaza militant groups had declared a unilateral ceasefire, where Israel stopped its offensive but kept its troops into the territory.

Editor:Zhang Yun