JERUSALEM, Sept 21: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ducked a question on Thursday on whether Israel would try to kill Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah if the Hezbollah chief attends a ‘victory rally’ in the guerrilla group’s Beirut stronghold.

Asked on Israel’s Channel 10 television if Nasrallah would be a target if he appeared at the event on Friday, Mr Olmert replied: “And you think, that if he was, I would tell you — and tell him?”

Nasrallah, apparently fearing Israeli attack, has not made a public appearance since a July 12 news conference to announce the capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid that touched off a war with Israel.

It was not clear if Hassan Nasrallah would attend the rally in a southern suburb of Beirut battered by Israel in 34 days of fighting.—Reuters