"Avenging Mugniyah's death justified"

Over 61 percent of Lebanese believe Hezbollah's retaliation for Imad Mugniyah's killing by Israel would be justified, a poll indicates.

Nearly 64 percent of respondents to the opinion poll conducted by Beirut's Research Center said Israel had violated the traditional rules of war by assassinating Mugniyah outside the Lebanese territory.

The poll also indicated that 61.6% of Lebanese believe Hezbollah would not attack civilian targets in retaliation for Mugniyah's assassination and 66.4% said Israel's move was mainly aimed at involving Lebanon in a new war.

Meanwhile 54.7% of respondents said Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has not fulfilled his duty to react to the murder of Mugniyah.

The poll also indicated a vast majority of Lebanese (84.8%) supported attempts to destroy Israel and 55.6% have agreed with Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah that Israel is on the verge of collapse.

Some 800 Lebanese took part in the poll conducted on February 19-22.

Mugniyah, a Hezbollah senior commander, was killed in a bomb blast in a residential neighborhood in Damascus on Feb.12.