In a speech on Friday evening, Nasrallah said that the Syrian leadership did not object to facilitating the exchange agreement and was very positive, noting that the Syrian leadership shouldered a huge burden and took it off the shoulders of the Lebanese people by agreeing to have al-Nusra militants and their families return to Syria.
“It is our moral duty to thank President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian forces on the ground which cooperated to realize the agreement with al-Nusra,” he said, noting that the Syrian leadership let the negotiations take their course and didn’t put any obstacles before them; rather it provided a lot of facilitations.
Nasrallah said that Lebanese President Michel Aoun approved the negotiations with al-Nusra, and was kept informed about them and provided all possible facilitations to ensure their success.
He stressed that the Resistance is ready to turn over control of the liberated area to the Lebanese Army as soon as it announces its readiness to assume control over them, adding that the liberation of Ras Baalbek and al-Qa’a will be carried out by the Lebanese Army.
“I say to ISIL, the Lebanese and the Syrians will come at you from all fronts, and you will not be able to withstand this battle. You are already defeated, and if you fight, all of you will be killed, injured, or captured,” he said, advising them to learn from the example of al-Nusra.
Nasrallah also congratulated the liberated captives, asserting that there are no more captives from the Resistance held by al-Nusra.
SANA/MNA