MAROUN AL-RAS — Lebanon’s Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last Friday called for a “peaceful resolution” in crisis-hit Syria, warning of regional fallout.

Nasrallah: All those who claim they are friends of Syria must step up efforts to help calm the country’s situation.

“All those who claim they are friends of Syria … must step up efforts to help calm the situation in Syria and encourage dialogue and a peaceful resolution,” he told a massive crowd in the southern village of Maroun al-Ras via video link.

“Anything else is dangerous for Syria, Palestine and the region,” Nasrallah said in a speech to mark “Quds Day”, an annual Iranian-inspired event to show solidarity with Palestinians.

Maroun al-Ras was the scene of a May 15 shooting in which Israeli troops fired on thousands of Palestinian refugees marching towards the border with Israel, killing seven and injuring 111, according to the United Nations.

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, a major ally of the Syrian regime as well as Hizbullah, on Wednesday also urged the Syrian regime and the Syrian people to reach a peaceful “understanding”.

Nasrallah accused Washington, of aiming to turn Syria into “another Lebanon: confessionally divided … and headed towards partition.”

“Lebanon is not immune to the situation in Syria. Negative developments like positive developments will affect the entire region,” warned Nasrallah.