Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has promised a retaliatory response to Israel's recent attack in southern Beirut, which resulted in the death of the group's top commander Fu'ad Shukr and several civilians, including two children. The attack has sparked tensions in the region, with Nasrallah condemning it as an 'assault' during a funeral procession for Shukr in southern Beirut.
Nasrallah indicated that the response from Hezbollah would extend beyond the usual border skirmishes with Israeli forces and emphasized that the retaliation would be carefully planned. While he did not explicitly declare war, Nasrallah warned that Israel had crossed 'red lines' with its actions in Beirut and Tehran.
Hezbollah's leader made it clear that the group's allies in the Iran-backed network of armed groups across the Middle East were united in their stance against Israel. Nasrallah's speech came in the wake of a series of high-profile killings within Iran-backed militant groups, including the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, which Iran and Hamas have attributed to Israel.
Despite the escalating tensions, Nasrallah stopped short of announcing a full-scale conflict but emphasized that the situation had entered a 'new phase.' The recent spate of targeted killings, including the deaths of Shukr, Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas' military wing, has further heightened the volatile situation in the region.
