Hezbollah Leader Threatens Further Escalation on Lebanon-Israel Border
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared that his powerful militia is already engaged in unprecedented fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border and has threatened a further escalation as Israel’s conflict with Hamas nears its one-month mark. In a televised speech, Nasrallah stopped short of announcing that Hezbollah would fully enter the war, a move that would have dire consequences for both Lebanon and Israel.
The United States, Israel’s strongest ally, has warned Hezbollah and its supporter Iran against getting involved in the conflict. The US has also sent warships to the Mediterranean, a move that Nasrallah dismissed, stating that it would not scare them. Nasrallah emphasized that Hezbollah is prepared for all options and can resort to them at any time. He also stated that the fighting would not be limited to the scale seen so far.
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has been launching rockets across the border, mainly targeting military installations in northern Israel. However, the group possesses a significant arsenal capable of hitting anywhere in Israel and has thousands of battle-hardened fighters.
Nasrallah’s speech was highly anticipated, as it was seen as an indication of whether the Israel-Hamas conflict would escalate into a regional war. He clarified that Hezbollah had already entered the battle on October 8, with their cross-border strikes diverting Israeli forces that would otherwise be focused on Hamas in Gaza.
Thousands of people gathered in Beirut to watch Nasrallah’s speech, and celebratory gunshots were fired over the city as he spoke. The tension along the Israel-Lebanon border escalated significantly on Thursday, with Hezbollah launching a barrage of mortar shells, anti-tank missiles, and, for the first time, suicide drones.
Meanwhile, in Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge protections for civilians in the conflict with Hamas. Israeli troops tightened their encirclement of Gaza City as the meeting took place. Nasrallah criticized the strong US backing of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, mostly civilians. While US officials have recently called for the protection of civilians, they have yet to call for a cease-fire.
Nasrallah accused President Joe Biden of making false claims without evidence, referring to Biden’s statement that Hamas cut off children’s heads. Nasrallah argued that Biden remained silent about the thousands of children in Gaza who were killed by Israeli bombing.
Nasrallah praised Hamas’ incursion into Israel on October 7, stating that it proved Israel’s weakness. He also emphasized that Hezbollah had no involvement in the attack, which was planned and implemented solely by Palestinians.
Hamas leaders have been urging Hezbollah to increase its involvement in the war, but Hezbollah officials have not publicly set a specific red line. They have taken calculated steps to keep Israel’s military busy on the Lebanon border without igniting an all-out war.
As of Friday, the Israeli military reported that seven soldiers and one civilian had been killed on the northern border. On the Lebanese side, more than 50 Hezbollah fighters, 10 militants from allied groups, and 10 civilians, including a Reuters journalist, have been killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Hezbollah not to test them, stating that a mistake would have unimaginable consequences. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating that the group has around 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel, as well as drones and various types of missiles.
However, a full-scale conflict would also be costly for Hezbollah, as it fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006 that resulted in significant damage to Lebanon. Moreover, a new war would displace hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters and further damage Lebanon’s already struggling economy.
