Aziz Taher/Reuters
Hezbollah and its allies have made major gains in Lebanon’s parliament elections, which took place on May 6.
According to preliminary results, Hezbollah as well as affiliated groups and individuals to it have won at least 67 seats in Lebanon’s 128-member parliament. The May 6 parliamentary elections were held in the country for the first time since 2009. According to authorities, the turnout was 49.2 percent.
Official results of the elections are expected to be announced by Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Nouhad Machnouk later on May 7 or on May 8.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister of Education Naftali Bennett wrote on Twitter “Hezbollah = Lebanon,” stressing that the outcome, which had yet to be confirmed could signal the risk of Israel hitting Lebanon’s government in a future war.
“The State of Israel will not differentiate between the sovereign State of Lebanon and Hezbollah, and will view Lebanon as responsible for any action from within its territory”, Bennett said.
תוצאות הבחירות בלבנון מבססות את תפיסתנו מזה זמן:
חיזבאללה=לבנון
מדינת ישראל לא תבדל בין מדינת לבנון הריבונית לבין חיזבאללה ותראה בלבנון כנושאת באחריות לכל פעולה היוצאת משטחה.— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) May 7, 2018
On the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they will carry out a military exercise in the western Galilee, near southern Lebanon, late on May 7.
According to a photo appeared online, the IDF also deployed multiple-launch rocket systes in the Israeli-occupied part of Syria’s Golan Heights.
IDF Multiple-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) deployed in the Golan #Israel #Syria (via @OrHeller) pic.twitter.com/tvHJ9wdlVH
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) 7 May 2018
