Online update 14 July 2006 Hizbullah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah today said his resistance movement will escalate its strikes on Israel to include Haifa -its third largest city- "and beyond." As his words were broadcast, Hizbullah fighters attacked an Israeli warship that had been firing missiles into southern Beirut. Speaking defiantly in an audiotape on Hizbullah's Al-Manar television less than an hour after missiles struck his headquarters and home, Nasrallah addressed Israelis and said they must take responsibility for their actions. You wanted an open war, and we are heading for an open war," he said. "We are ready for it." "The surprises that I have promised you will start now. Now in the middle of the sea, facing Beirut, the Israeli warship that has attacked the infrastructure, people's homes and civilianslook at it burning," Nasrallah said. "It will sink and with it will sink scores of Israeli Zionist soldiers. This is just the beginning," he warned. Al-Jazeera reported the Israeli military was searching for four missing troops from the ship. Israeli officials would not immediately comment on the Arab broadcaster's report; an army spokesman said earlier the ship had apparently been struck by a rocket but that the damage was minor and no one was injured. Immediately after Nasrallah's message was broadcast, Arab television showed nighttime video of what it said was the Israeli warship burning. But the video was unclear. The audiotape came shortly after Israeli missiles struck Hizbullah headquarters and Nasrallah's house in southern Beirut. His words were greeted with heavy celebratory gunfire that rang out across the Lebanese capital. Sentiments in Egypt were jubilant as hundreds exchanged mobile text-messages welcoming the speech of "the Arab hero in the region." The Hizbullah leader also repeated a threat to hit the Israeli coastal city of Haifa and other towns farther south. "To Haifa? Believe me, beyond and beyond Haifa." "Our homes will not be the only ones to be destroyed, our children will not be the only ones to die. ... Those days are over, I promise you. "You (Israelis) must take responsibility for what your government has done," he added. "You will soon discover how stupid and foolish your new government is." "I promise you a new victory, just as I always have," he said. Addressing Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan who indirectly criticized Hizbullah and accused it of "taking miscalculated adventures" Nasrallah said "we are adventurous. We've been adventurous since 1982 [when Israel invaded Lebanon]� we will not talk about your past but we say we never relied on you any day." "Our adventures" he said, brought nothing but pride and dignity to our nation in reference to Hizbullah's success in drive out Israel's occupation forces from South Lebanon in 2000. More than 60 Lebanese civilians have been killed since Israel began its attacks on Lebanon yesterday morning. It follows Hizbullah's capture of Israeli soldiers it says it wants to swap with Arabs held in Israeli prisons. Hezbollah has continued rocket attacks on northern Israel - 70 were fired on Friday alone. News agencies + Al-Ahram Weekly
