'Only Israel and US want war in the Middle East'
If a doomsday scenario becomes reality, it’ll be the work of the United States and Israel, says Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman of the Centre for Mediation in Africa.
Residents watch as first responders and Israeli security forces gather amid debris and charred vehicles in Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district of Israel, following a reported strike by Lebanon's Hezbollah on 22 September 2024. Picture: AFP
Lester Kiewit speaks with Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman, Programme Director for Public Engagement and Science at the Centre for Mediation in Africa (CMA).
Listen below.
In recent weeks, there have been numerous airstrikes and counter strikes between Israel and Hezbollah leading to hundreds of deaths in Lebanon.
Hezbollah is an influential Shia Muslim political party, armed resistance movement and social movement.
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It was founded in 1982 and funded by Iran as a military organisation to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Sooliman says Hezbollah was brought into this conflict partly because it supports Palestine as well as defending Lebanon’s sovereignty.
“It has stated from the start that it will continue resisting against Israeli occupation.”
- Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman, Centre for Mediation in Africa
The Lebanese government has expressed solidarity with Hezbollah in this conflict.
The US, UK, and EU have called for a temporary ceasefire to find a diplomatic way forward both in Lebanon and Gaza and prevent a full-scale regional war.
However, Sooliman says no state party in the Middle East wants a full-scale regional war, except for Israel.
“It is only Israel and the US that want a war in the Middle East. If there is going to be a doomsday scenario, it is going to come from these two.”
- Dr Quraysha Ismail Sooliman, Centre for Mediation in Africa
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.