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'What is this tiny democracy supposed to do?': Grant Shapps defends Israel ahead of possible Lebanon incursion
30 September 2024, 19:55 | Updated: 30 September 2024, 21:07
Israel has 'the right not to be fired on all day long by a bunch of terrorists', former defence secretary Grant Shapps has told LBC ahead of its possible incursion into Lebanon.
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Shapps, who lost his seat as an MP in the July General Election, said "Israel is in a terrible situation" and has "rockets being fired by Hezbollah on a daily basis".
Israel's Defence Forces are currently preparing for a ground invasion of Lebanon to combat Hezbollah, a spokesperson for the military earlier told LBC.
The military is seeking to push Hezbollah away from its northern border amid ongoing retaliatory strikes between the Middle Eastern powers amid the threat of a wider war in the region.
Israel has been carrying out "small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and probing ahead of a possible broader ground incursion," the Wall Street Journal reported.
Speaking to LBC from the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, the former defence secretary backed Israel's preparations ahead of a possible on-the-ground conflict said: "What is this tiny, small democracy, the size of Wales, supposed to do? Just allow these rockets to continually fire at them with no action?
Israel has been "suffering this for a very long time", Shapps added.
"Hezbollah hasn’t complied with the UN resolution 1701 to pull back from the border," he said, referring to the resolution calling for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
It requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to be replaced by Lebanese and United Nations Interim Forces across the southern border and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
"I hope this can be over, I support the calls for a ceasefire, but a ceasefire has to work in both directions, the rockets can’t continue," Shapps continued.
"I understand their right not to be fired on all day long by a bunch of terrorists. Hezbollah are recognised by Britain as a bunch of terrorists."
Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell echoed Shapps' comments, telling LBC that "Israel has the right of self-defence, and they are being shelled by Hezbollah over the border."
Asked if he agrees with the Labour Government’s call on Israel for a ceasefire in Lebanon, the Conservative MP told Andrew Marr: "If they won't stop, then Israel has the right of self-defence to stop them."
Mitchell also failed to answer whether he supported Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick’s view that UK airports should display the Star of David to demonstrate the UK’s support of Israel.
"I think there are many things that [people] should see when they come into the airports, like the 'Britain is great' posters, which you see whenever you go through one of our major airports," he said. "And it's always to me, a matter of pride to see that"
‘We are going to invade Lebanon,’ admits IDF spokesman
It follows nearly two weeks of bombing between Hezbollah and Israel, with the leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah killed on Friday.
Israel hit an apartment building in central Beirut with an airstrike on Monday. A residential neighbourhood that houses predominantly Sunni Muslims was hit early on Monday morning, according to the Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.
The Israel Defence Force has previously stated it carried out another targeted strike on Beirut but did not immediately provide details.
The airstrike killed at least one person and wounded 16, said an official with Lebanese Civil Defense, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
He said the person killed was a member of the al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, a Sunni political and militant group that is allied with Hezbollah.
