Nasrallah appears at Hizbullah rally
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah had not been seen in public since June 12th
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Friday, 22, Sep 2006 03:43
The leader of Hizbullah has made his first public appearance for more than three months at a Beirut rally celebrating the group's 'victory' over Israel in the recent conflict.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters were present in the Lebanese capital to see Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah appear to a rapturous reception.
Addressing the mass crowds, the leader said: "Peace be with you and with your martyrs and with your families. I feel your pain, and I salute your tears and your blood and your destroyed homes, and I salute your will and your determination.
"My presence here is not without any danger. However, my heart and my soul would not allow me to address you from a distance and through some screen," he added.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, yesterday refused to confirm or deny whether the Hizbullah leader would represent a legitimate target for assassination if he appeared in public.
The Jewish state had previously said it would continue to target the group's leaders even after the ceasefire had been agreed upon.
Hizbullah and Israel have both claimed victory in the five-week conflict that ended on August 14th.
More than 1,000 Lebanese civilians died from Israeli air strikes and artillery fire, while Israel says that 116 soldiers and 43 civilians lost their lives.
Mr Nasrallah has not been seen in public since declaring that Hizbullah had captured two Israeli soldiers, one of the underlying causes of the war.
The US-backed Lebanese prime minister, Fouad Siniora, has already said that he was not invited to today's rally by Hizbullah, which holds two ministerial posts in the country's cabinet.