In a recent address, Hezbollah’s chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, broke his silence amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, signaling the possibility that the strife could lead to a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
Hezbollah, which receives substantial support from Iran and is recognized as a significant militant force, has been actively confronting Israeli troops near the Lebanon-Israel frontier. This marks the most intense confrontation since their 2006 conflict. Nasrallah pointed out that while the actions at the border may appear limited, they hold considerable significance.
Nasrallah’s speech, broadcasted on television, highlighted Hezbollah’s increased activities, which have compelled Israel to allocate more of its military presence to the Lebanese border, potentially diverting attention from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In his remarks, Nasrallah laid the blame for the Gaza war and the extensive civilian casualties squarely on the United States. He stressed the importance of deescalating the situation in Gaza to avert a larger regional conflict.
Despite warnings from the U.S. to refrain from entering the fray of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Nasrallah made it clear that his group is undaunted. He dismissed the impact of the U.S. naval presence in the Mediterranean and asserted Hezbollah’s readiness for a full range of outcomes.
Nasrallah acknowledged that Hezbollah had stepped into the fray with recent cross-border skirmishes, hinting at a potential ramp-up in hostilities, yet he refrained from declaring an all-out participation in the ongoing war.
Expressing gratitude towards allies in Yemen and Iraq, who form what is termed the “Axis of Resistance”—which includes Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq that have targeted U.S. forces in both Syria and Iraq, as well as Yemen’s Houthi rebels who have escalated the conflict by launching drones at Israel—Nasrallah praised the Oct. 7 operation for causing turmoil within Israel and revealing its vulnerabilities.
