"Hezbollah Using Civilians As Human Shield" Says Elaaheh Jamali, Human Rights Activist

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday thundered at the United Nations General Assembly. In his address to the UNGA Netanyahu pledged time and again that Israel won't stop until Hamas and Hezbollah are defeated in this war against terrorism as Arab countries boycotted his speech. Now the biggest question is when is this mayhem going to end and how long will the human suffering on both sides continue? In search of answers, India Today Global spoke to Human Rights activist Elaaheh Jamali.

New Delhi: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday thundered at the United Nations General Assembly. In his address to the UNGA Netanyahu pledged time and again that Israel won't stop until Hamas and Hezbollah are defeated in this war against terrorism as Arab countries boycotted his speech.
Making an impassioned plea for peace in the region Netanyahu said, "My country is at war, fighting for its life. After hearing the lies and slander directed at my country by many of the speakers on this podium, I decided to come here - and present the facts. Israel wants peace, longs for peace, made peace, and will make peace again. But we are dealing with savage enemies and we have to defend ourselves against this murderous enemy."

As the focus shifts from Hamas to Hezbollah, from Gaza Strip to Lebanon one thing remains the same and that is the tragic loss of civilian lives who have nothing to do with this war. While thousands have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, hundreds of them have died in missile attacks in Lebanon. Israel, its allies in the West, and the US have blamed Iran for the bloodshed in the region. On the other hand, Iran and the Arab World have accused Israel of the massacre in Gaza and Lebanon. Netanyahu had a strong message for Iran at the UNGA. Without mincing words, the Israeli Premier said, "In April, Iran directly attacked Israel for the first time and fired hundreds of missiles and UAVs. I have a message for the Iranians - if you attack us, we will attack you. There is no place in Iran for the long arm Israel cannot reach, and this is true for the entire Middle East. I have another message for the world - we are winning." Now the biggest question is when is this mayhem going to end and how long will the human suffering on both sides continue?
In search of answers, India Today spoke to Human Rights activist Elaaheh Jamali. Born in Iran and raised in London. Jamali is a passionate advocate for human rights and social justice, with a background in medical biochemistry.

About the current humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon Elaaheh says - The problem we are facing in Lebanon right now is that what the civilians are facing is a problem that's been persisting since the downfall of the Lebanese government in 2019. It has now led to this because Hezbollah is a bullying force and a bullying power that takes over the entirety of Lebanon. It has even held the civilians of the country hostage and all of this is orchestrated at the hands of the Islamic Republic. Jamali further adds Lebanon is a proxy of the Islamic Republic. It's started opening fire on Israel unprovoked since October 8th after the Hamas massacre on October 7th and the next day Hezbollah started opening fire by doing so they put the Lebanese people at risk of unwanted war and now we have people from the south of Lebanon having to flee because for 11 months every day, Lebanon has caused assaults on Israel. Backing Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon Jamali goes on to say that Israel as a sovereign nation has the right to defend itself. Israel is at war on 7 different fronts sadly people in Lebanon and civilians in Israel and Gaza are paying for this problem.

To a question about civilians fleeing to war-torn Syria from Lebanon and from Gaza to other places and how the international community comes to terms with such a disastrous situation, Jamali pins the blame squarely on Iran. She goes on to say What we are witnessing in Lebanon is horrible. War that's been happening for a much longer time than the past 11 months. The devastation for the Lebanese people since the explosion in the harbor was caused by Iran and Russia parking a ship outside the harbor and leaving it unattended in the hands of Hezbollah. The country had already been on the brink of a collapse financially. There was no electricity in the homes of northern civilians before this war started. This country was already collapsing and right now civilians running towards their crumbling homes. This is a humanitarian crisis and the world needs to pay attention. Elaaheh who is known for opposing oppressive regimes further lambasts Iran. She narrates how Iranian people came to the streets, and put their lives in danger. Fighting the very government that is now the biggest instigator of terror in that region. Syria is invaded, Lebanon is invaded and they are invaded by Islamic Republics, and that invasion has put these people into a war that is unwanted. More than 50,000 people have been displace in Israel. Lebanese people have been pushed out of their homes. They are going to get back to their homes. Lebanese people are being devastated and pushed out of their country because of a war that is being fought on their behalf against them.

A lot of experts actually would agree that if the international community were to ask the people of Lebanon whether they would want to go with Hezbollah or not many would say that they would not. Jamali agrees on this point. She believes that the international community should get behind the people of Lebanon in order to throw over such a terrorist group that is inside Lebanon pushing artillery material into the homes of civilians and using human beings as human shields in order to protest themselves. Lebanese people do not want the presence of the Islamic Republic in their country. Jamali demands that the international community must back the people of Lebanon.