The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted the source as saying "that he doesn't advise Nasrallah to leave his hideout, (a move) which could be dangerous."

Nasrallah made a brief appearance at celebrations for the release of five prisoners, including Qantar, from Israeli jails in Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday.

But the Hezbollah chief was whisked out of sight a few minutes after his appearance at Al-Raya stadium to greet Qantar and his comrades.

He later gave a speech via video link.

The last time Nasrallah made a public speech was in September 2006 in a victory celebration among the ruins of the southern suburbs destroyed during the July-August 2006 war Hezbollah fought with Israel.

He also appeared in public for a few minutes in January during the Shiite Muslim holiday of Ashura.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth also hinted Thursday that it was possible the Jewish state would assassinate Qantar. Qantar ( 46) was in Israeli jail for nearly 30 years and was freed just 3 days ago in a prisoner swap deal between Hezbollah and Israel . Qantar received four life sentences in an Israeli court. He was convicted of murdering three Israelis during the raid - an Israeli policeman, a 31 year-old man, and his 4-year-old daughter. He was 17 and belonged to the Palestine Liberation Front ( PLF) , when he participated in the 1979 PLF raid in Nahariya, 10 kilometers away from the Lebanese border.

Photo: Lebanese Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah (R) speaks next to freed Lebanese prisoner Samir Qantar (L) at a stadium in Beirut's southern suburbs.

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