Interesting response, not least because it does show that publicity, statements and reports over Madaya are clearly having an important impact on Hizbullah’s public stance.
On January 8, the Qatari-owned Al-Quds al-Arabi daily carried the following report by its correspondent in Beirut: “It seems that Hezbollah was bewildered by the intensifying media campaign that shed light on the tragedy endured by the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, and had to clarify the situation, not through an official statement, but through Al-Manar’s newscast yesterday night. Indeed, the channel commented on what it dubbed a programed media campaign against the resistance regarding the town of Madaya in Rif Dimashq, quoting sources as saying: “Some visual and written media outlets with known inclinations have launched a wide-scale slander campaign against the resistance, and accused Hezbollah of starving the civilians in Madaya through its siege. But this is a programmed campaign aiming to ruin the image of the resistance.”
“[It said:] “The armed groups that have taken Madaya hostage, and the foreign sides supporting them, are the only ones responsible for what is happening in the town. We have not seen a similar campaign regarding other Syrian towns that have been besieged by the armed terrorist groups for years, such as Kefraya and Al-Fou’a in Rif Adlib, Nebl and Az-Zahra’ in the countryside of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and other regions, where babies are dying because of the shortage of milk and basic products, and disease is spreading due to the lack of medical supplies.” Al-Manar thus indicated: “Firstly, dozens of trucks loaded with food and medical supplies that could last many months were introduced to Madaya, Sarghaya and Baqin on October 18, 2015, and an equal quantity was introduced to Kefraya and Fou’a… More is expected to arrive in the coming days, after the injured armed men were evacuated from Az-Zabadani.”