Hezbollah says front with Israel will remain active

Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech in which he announced that the armed wing of the party had utilized new weapons and targeted new locations in Israel. Nasrallah emphasized that the front against Israel would remain active. This was Nasrallah’s second speech since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, and in his previous speech, he had mentioned the possibility of the conflict escalating into a full-scale war. During his televised address, Nasrallah highlighted the quantitative improvement in the number of operations, targets, and the size of the attacks carried out by Hezbollah. He also revealed that the group had employed a “Burkan” missile with an explosive payload of 300-500 kg and weaponized drones for the first time. Additionally, Nasrallah mentioned that Hezbollah had retaliated against an Israeli airstrike by striking the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, which marked the first time they had targeted that location. Nasrallah concluded his speech by affirming that the front against Israel would remain active. In response to Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hezbollah was dragging Lebanon into a potential war and stated that Israel could take similar actions in Beirut as it had in Gaza. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari later confirmed that Israel had launched strikes against multiple Hezbollah targets in response to their attacks. Hezbollah, established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is a key player in an alliance supported by Tehran that is hostile towards Israel and the United States. The group had engaged in a month-long war with Israel in 2006. Since October 8, Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces along the Lebanese-Israeli border, primarily targeting military installations. However, the clashes have resulted in the deaths of at least 70 Hezbollah fighters and several Lebanese civilians. Nasrallah also highlighted the use of drone warfare by Israel as a new factor in the current confrontations, stating that it posed a significant threat to fighters. Meanwhile, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes on Gaza following a cross-border assault by Hamas on October 7. The conflict has resulted in a high number of casualties, with Israel claiming around 1,200 deaths and approximately 240 individuals taken as hostages, while Gaza health authorities report over 11,000 fatalities, including many women and children.