Having been silent for almost a month of Israeli bombardment on Gaza, much of the Arab world was awaiting to hear what Hassan Nasrallah, the chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah, would say. His long silence had positioned him as the one man who could announce regional war.
The world was bracing itself. Supporters and fierce opponents alike would be glued to their TV screens. Streets across Beirut emptied, some packed bags fearing that he would declare open war and the bombardment on Lebanon could immediately start.
