Hezbollah leader signals no major changes in clashes with Israel

In his first public comments since the start of the Gaza war, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, warned that all options were open in their battles with Israel. However, he refrained from announcing a complete escalation. Nasrallah's speech was closely monitored in Israel, Lebanon, and the Middle East as it could indicate whether his powerful Iranian-backed group would increase rocket attacks and other strikes on northern Israel, potentially escalating the conflict in the region.

Speaking through a video feed, Nasrallah called for an end to Israel's military offensive in Gaza and stated that any decision by Hezbollah to escalate would depend on Israel's military actions in both Gaza and southern Lebanon. 

Spillover incidents have already occurred, where various Iranian-backed groups aligned with Hezbollah have initiated assaults on Israel and U.S. bases in Iraq and Yemen. Consequently, Israel has responded by executing airstrikes in Syria. Nevertheless, if Hezbollah, renowned as one of the world's most heavily armed militias, decides to escalate the conflict, it could drastically alter the situation and potentially intensify the involvement of the United States, which serves as Israel's primary military supporter. 

Nasrallah affirmed that the October 7 assault by Hamas on southern Israel was entirely of Palestinian origin and demonstrated solidarity with the Palestinian organization. However, he refrained from proclaiming a full-scale conflict with Israel, contrary to widespread apprehensions. 

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 9,000 individuals, including approximately 4,000 children, have lost their lives due to the Israeli military operation in Gaza. The conflict began on October 7th, when Hamas militants launched a lethal assault within Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 individuals. Additionally, more than 200 people were abducted and brought back into Gaza as hostages. 

In his speech, Nasrallah directed a considerable part of it towards the United States, who had deployed warships near Lebanon's eastern Mediterranean coastline. Nasrallah expressed that these fleets in the area did not and have never intimidated them. Furthermore, he conveyed that the only way for Washington to ease tensions was by exerting control over Israel. 

“You Americans can stop the aggression on Gaza, because it is your aggression. Whoever wants to stop the start of a regional war — and the message is to the Americans — then you have to rush to stop the aggression on Gaza,” stated Nasrallah during his extensive speech, which lasted approximately 90 minutes. 

Hezbollah, known as a significant political power in Lebanon, encounters conflicting pressures. Various political factions in Lebanon express concerns about the nation's potential involvement in a large-scale conflict with Israel, especially considering the ongoing economic crisis affecting Lebanon. However, there are factions within Nasrallah's own movement, as well as armed groups across the region, who aspire to initiate a fresh confrontation with Israel. 

A group of Iranian-supported militia members united in Iraq to listen to Nasrallah. Ali Al-Yassiri, a member of the Badr Organization, expressed hope for a more impactful speech that outlines a clear pathway for the resistance to realize their vision of liberating Arab lands, particularly Palestine. 

“All he did was give a brief account of what happened since Oct. 7,” he said.