Hamas is fighting ‘sacred’ war with Israel, says Hezbollah chief

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The top figure in the Hezbollah militia group has expressed his support for Palestinian militants and commended the assaults that caused the deaths of over a thousand citizens in Israel. This marks his initial public appearance since the onset of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in recent times.

During a broadcast on television on Friday, Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech from an undisclosed location. He expressed admiration for those who had passed away fighting Israeli troops, refuted allegations that the Hamas attacks were orchestrated by Iran, and mentioned that his loyal fighters were ready to make infinite sacrifices in their mission.

He expressed that the operation was exceptional and had complete involvement of Palestinians. The initiative was carried out solely by Palestinians, which made it a significant and meaningful act.

He did not make a direct announcement of hostile actions against Israel or adding another battlefront to the ongoing conflict. This was surprising, as many had anticipated him to take steps that would intensify the strain between the two sides greatly.

Nasrallah has been the leader of Hezbollah since 1992 after his predecessor was killed by Israeli forces. Hezbollah claims to have both a political and military section, but it is considered to be a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S., the U.K., several EU countries, and the Arab League. Hezbollah has strong connections to Iran, which supports Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad, and paramilitary groups in Yemen and Iraq. All of these groups are known to be strongly against Israel and their allies in the West.

Hezbollah has a strong grip on the southern part of Lebanon, and operates as a separate authority from the government of the Middle Eastern country. The group's members have launched attacks and drone strikes against Israeli positions across the border in the past few days. This has led to a significant escalation of violence in the area, prompting Israeli authorities to instruct residents of 42 nearby communities to evacuate for their safety.

Before Nasrallah's talk, educational institutions and official structures across Lebanon shut down and masses of people congregated in Beirut, along with other Middle Eastern nations, to hear the speech. Although some individuals in the small country, with a population of approximately 5.5 million, are concerned about the possibility of another battle with Israel, Hezbollah is capable of functioning independently from the government and still has widespread backing from the Shia Muslim populace.

The armed forces of Israel declared that they were in a state of high alert on Friday for their northern border with Lebanon.

Israel controlled Southern Lebanon for 15 years, starting in 1985, through various military offensives and clashes with militant groups. This happened after the country’s civil war. In 2006, a short but intense war occurred between Israel and Hezbollah. Many people lost their lives on each side, but neither emerged as the clear winner.

On Friday afternoon, the French Minister of Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, visited Beirut and announced that his nation would keep backing the Lebanese Armed Forces. He emphasized that Lebanon's stability is crucial for the nation and the surrounding region.

At this time, Antony Blinken, who serves as the U.S. Secretary of State, is presently situated in Israel while the need for a "humanitarian pause" continues to increase. This pause would allow Palestinian noncombatants to evacuate as Israel intensifies their attacks on the Gaza Strip. Blinken once again emphasized that Israel has the right to safeguard themselves and declared that "the killing of innocent individuals would not and should not be allowed by any nation." Nonetheless, he did propose strengthening the defense of Palestinians as the violent clash persists.

According to the Health Ministry governed by the Hamas in Gaza, nearly 9,000 individuals have lost their lives since the conflict erupted in the previous month. On the other hand, Israeli military personnel have acquired charge of vital positions of power in addition to the surrounding regions of Gaza City. The Israeli troops have instructed noncombatants to evacuate their residences and take refuge in the south of Gaza where they will be relatively safer. Nevertheless, even these areas have also been subjected to air strikes.

Since the major offensive initiated by Hamas, more than 1,400 individuals on the Israeli border have lost their lives. Hamas fighters infiltrated the nation via land, air, and sea.

The reporting was done by Laura Kayali.