Venezuela Condemns Nasrallah Assassination, Lebanon Bombings

President Maduro denounced Netanyahu as a “murderer like Hitler” and blasted “cowardly” world leaders for staying silent.
Venezuela nasrallah killing
Hassan Nasrallah was one of the key anti-zionist figures worldwide. (AFP)

Caracas, October 1, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Nicolás Maduro government expressed its condemnation of Israeli attacks that killed scores in Lebanon, including Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.

In a statement published by the foreign ministry, Caracas took aim at the “atrocious massacre” committed on September 28 in Beirut.

“Israel works alongside the United States on misleading diplomatic maneuvers while plotting macabre plans to assassinate political leaders and entire populations in Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon,” the communiqué read.

On Saturday, Israeli airplanes flattened a number of apartment buildings in the southern Beirut neighborhood of Dahieh. The operation reportedly used US-supplied 2,000 lb bombs known as “bunker busters” to target underground Hezbollah facilities.

The attack killed and injured hundreds, with the number expected to rise in the coming days. The Lebanese resistance group confirmed the death of its leader on Sunday.

“This operation showcases once more the Israeli-led barbarity in the region,” Venezuela’s statement added. “[Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, the Middle East’s terrorism leader of the XXI century, continues his escalation against the Palestinian people and neighboring countries.”

The Maduro administration called on world leaders to take “immediate action” to stop a “dangerous terrorist escalation” and expressed its solidarity with the Lebanese people.

The 64 year-old Nasrallah was revered for his strategic skills and leadership at the head of the Shia militant group. He took over following the Israeli assassination of his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992.

During his tenure, Hezbollah grew and reinforced its political credentials in Lebanon, especially in the Shia-majority South. The organization likewise bolstered its military capabilities, forcing the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 and then effectively defeating the Israeli army in the 2006 conflict. Hezbollah is currently considered the biggest deterrent to Tel Aviv’s occupation of Palestine and expansion plans in the Middle East.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reiterated condemnation of Nasrallah’s assassination, blasting “cowardly” world leaders for remaining silent.

“The orders for this attack were issued from the UN headquarters in New York,” he said during a political event on Sunday, in reference to Netanyahu’s presence at the UN General Assembly, from where he greenlit the operation. 

Maduro labeled the Israeli leader as a “murderer who only reminds us of Hitler” and vowed that “the rebellious, revolutionary people” in Venezuela and around the world would not be silenced. Venezuela has been a staunch supporter of Palestine over the past 25 years, with former President Hugo Chávez breaking relations with Israel in 2009. In January, Caracas threw its backing behind South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The Hezbollah leader’s assassination likewise drew reactions from other Latin American leaders, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warning that it “seriously threatens regional and world peace and security” while also highlighting US complicity.

The assassination of Nasrallah, alongside recent attacks via exploding pagers and walkie-talkies as well as the killing of several top officials, represent significant setbacks for the group. However, deputy leader Naim Qassem, published a defiant message on Sunday, vowing that Hezbollah would continue to fight.

Hezbollah had maintained a tense exchange of fire across the border with Israeli forces for most of the past year in support of the Palestinian people under a wide-reaching aggression from Israel in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. In recent weeks, Tel Aviv ramped up bombing operations in Lebanon and the targeted killing of Hezbollah leaders.

Israeli actions risk sparking an expanded conflict in the region. On Tuesday, Iran fired a retaliatory salvo of ballistic missiles against Israeli targets. Iranian leaders had pledged to respond to the attacks against its ally Hezbollah, as well as the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.