Beirut (AsiaNews) – “If you want open war you will have it!”: this is Hezbollah’s warning delivered by its chief, Hassan Nasrallah, to Israel, whom it holds responsible for Wednesday’s assassination of the organisations military chief Imad Moughniyah, in Damascus.

Accusations and threats launched against the Jewish state, which denies all involvement, marked yesterday’s funeral celebrations of the Hezbollah leader, whom the west believes responsible for numerous bloody attacks and kidnappings, to such an extent before September 11th, he had caused the greatest number of American deaths.  For Israeli intelligence he was also the chief go between for Iran and Hezbollah.  In fact, Tehran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, was present at the funeral service, even reading a message of condolence from president Ahmadinejad, while the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent another to Nasrallah, exalting Moughniyah’s “martyrdom”.

The deceased was also referred to as a “Martyr of Allah” by the Party of God’s secretary General as he railed against Israel, saying “you have killed outside of your territory, you have overstepped the boundaries”.  “Zionist – he added – if you want this type of open war, let the entire world hear, this is open war”.  Under driving rain, Nasrallah maintained that war with Israel, which began in the summer of 2006, is not yet over, but will go on until the Jewish State is eliminated.

Hezbollah’s chief sponsor Syria has also lent its voice.  Damascus foreign minister Walid al-Moualem, has in fact announced that his nation will soon present “irrefutable” proof on those responsible for Moughniyah’s death. Answering journalist’s questions, Moualem went on to confirm that the episode has killed "any effort to revive the peace process”. (YH)