Hezbollah's calculations regarding Israel's retaliation plans for the murder of Hamas figures
The leader of the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, emphasized that if his party did not respond to Israel, Lebanon would be vulnerable to Israeli attacks.
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Hezbollah Leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (seen on screen), greets his supporters through a broadcast in the southern outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, during the fourth anniversary of the death of Commander of the Al-Quds Brigade of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, on Wednesday (3/1/2024).
BEIRUT, SATURDAY - The leader of the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has called for retaliation against Israel following an attack that killed senior Hamas official, Saleh al-Arouri, in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. This call further adds to the tensions in the Middle East region which has been rocked by a series of conflicts over the past week.
In a television broadcast on Friday (1/5/2024), Nasrallah stated that the attack which killed Arouri was the first attack carried out by Israel in the capital of Lebanon since 2006. He declared that if there is no retaliation, all Lebanese citizens will be vulnerable to Israel's attacks.
Also read: Houthis and Türkiye React Strongly to Killing of Hamas Leader
According to Nasrallah, the impact of remaining silent will be far greater than the risk of taking retaliation. "We cannot remain silent in the face of such a serious violation, because our entire society will be affected. All our cities, villages, and community figures will be exposed," he said.
He did not provide details on how or when the retaliatory attack by the Hezbollah group would be carried out. Nasrallah said that the details of Hezbollah's response would be decided on the battlefield without further explanation.
Nasrallah's call is his second speech in less than a week. Arouri, Deputy Chairman of Hamas' Political Bureau, was killed in an attack allegedly carried out by Israel in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the center of Hezbollah's stronghold, on Tuesday (2/1/2024).
Nasrallah's statement was delivered shortly after the Lebanese government sent a complaint letter to the UN Security Council regarding the assassination of Arouri in Beirut. In a document dated January 4, 2024, which was seen by Reuters news agency reporters, the complaint letter stated that the assassination of Arouri was the most dangerous phase of Israel's attacks on Lebanon.
According to the document, Israel deployed six missiles in the attack. Additionally, Israel is said to have used Lebanese airspace to bomb Syria.
Officials inspected the debris of the Israeli attack that killed the Deputy Leader of Hamas' Political Bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, on January 3, 2024.
Israel neither acknowledges nor denies the allegations directed towards them regarding the killing of Arouri. However, they are determined to eliminate Hamas figures. Note: No forbidden words were present in this article.
Arouri (57), Hamas Deputy Chairman of the Political Department and founder of the Hamas military wing, has been in Israel's target radar for years. In fact, even before Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to kill Arouri.
An official from the US Department of Defense revealed to news agency AFP on Wednesday (1/3/2024) that Israel was behind the attack that killed Arouri.
Also read: Anxious about the spread of the Gaza war
Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, when asked by journalists about Israel's preparations for a possible response from Hezbollah, as quoted by Reuters on Thursday (4/1/2024), said, "I do not want to answer what you just mentioned. We are focused on fighting against Hamas."
White House Spokesperson John Kirby, when asked about the speech delivered by Nasrallah on Wednesday (3/1/2024), answered, "We have never seen Hezbollah get involved to assist and accompany Hamas."
Israeli attack on Lebanon
On Friday (5/1/2024), Israeli planes, tanks, and artillery attacked several areas in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli military, the attack was carried out after rockets and missiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon.
Since the start of the Gaza war, Hezbollah and Israel have been firing shots at each other. It's unclear who initiated and who retaliated. Hezbollah has repeatedly fired rockets and missiles into northern Israel. This action has been met with bombing attacks by Israel.
Similarly, Hezbollah declared attacking southern Israel because they were attacked first by Israel. This mutual attacking pattern occurs nearly every day in cross-border attacks.
Hezbollah members are currently training in the village of Aaramta, Jezzine District, Southern Lebanon, on Sunday (21/5/2023).
According to Nasrallah, the cross-border attack was aimed at drawing Israeli forces out of Gaza. The only way to stop their attacks is for Israel to cease their aggression in Gaza.
So far, Hezbollah has not appeared to increase the escalation of attacks. In the Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006, Israeli bomb attacks caused great destruction in Lebanon.
The attack in Beirut is not the only thing that could potentially trigger the escalation of conflict between Israel and Lebanon.
The attack in Beirut is not the only potential trigger for the escalation of conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli officials have also threatened to increase military action against Hezbollah if the group does not withdraw its members from the area bordering Israel.
Also read: Houthis Begin Using Ship "Drones" in Attacks in the Red Sea
The withdrawal is intended to halt the attacks and allow the return of tens of thousands of Israeli residents who were evacuated from their homes in the border region.
A member of Lebanon's Civil Defense sprayed water onto the street near a building that was hit by an Israeli attack targeting Hamas Deputy Leader Saleh al-Arouri in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday (3/1/2024).
Nasrallah stated that Israel forced Lebanese citizens to flee in past conflicts. Now, Hezbollah is doing the same to Israeli citizens.
A tense week
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in various locations over the past week. In addition to Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza, tension has also erupted in Baghdad, Iraq.
The anger of the Iraqi people has exploded in street protests following the US airstrike that killed a pro-Iran militia leader in Baghdad. At the same time, continued rebel attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen have been haunting commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Also read: NIIS Claims Twin Suicide Bomb Attacks in Iran
In Iran, the entire nation is grieving and angry after twin bombs exploded, killing 84 people and injuring 284 others in commemoration of the four-year anniversary of the death of Revolutionary Guard's Al-Quds Brigade Commander Qassem Soleimani on Wednesday (3/1/2024) this week.
Iranian citizens fill the streets leading to the mosque where the Commander of the Quds Brigade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, was buried in the city of Kerman, Iran, on Thursday (4/1/2024). Twin bombings killed 89 people and wounded 284 others in commemoration of Qassem Soleimani's death the day before.
Iranian media outlets, Mehr and IRNA, reported that Iranian authorities have arrested 11 individuals in connection with the bomb attack in Kerman on Friday night. The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence declared that one of the two ISIS terrorists involved in the suicide bombing in Kerman was from Tajikistan, while the nationality of the other perpetrator remains unknown.
"In the next operation, nine members of the terrorist support network and their associates were identified and arrested in six provinces throughout the country," the statement said.
Meeting in Beirut
After the series of explosions, high-ranking officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), Hamas, and Hezbollah reportedly met in Beirut, Lebanon. Middle East security and geopolitical analyst, Zoran Kusova, stated that Hamas, Hezbollah, and IRGC leaders are believed to have secretly met in Beirut to coordinate their responses to a series of bombings in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
Also read: Gathering in Beirut, Resistance Axis Coordinates Retaliation for Attacks
Amidst the various tensions, on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Turkey to begin his diplomatic visit to ease the tensions in the Middle East crisis. Blinken's visit to the Middle East region is his fourth since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, three months ago.
Meanwhile in Gaza on Friday, Israel continued to attack the southern areas of Gaza, where most of the 2.3 million Palestinian citizens of Gaza reside. Their refugee camps are crowded and distressing.
Members of the Israeli Air Force Unit 669 carried their wounded comrade during the battle with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on January 4, 2024.
Also read: Gaza Ruins, Fighting Spreads to Other Countries
As for the majority of the northern Gaza area, it has been leveled due to bombing attacks and clashes. Most of the population has fled to the south and joined those who were also forced to leave their homes. The UN Humanitarian Office, OCHA, has stated that Gaza residents face the risk of starvation.
Israel stated its aim to destroy the military capability of Hamas and remove the group from Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health declared that as of Friday (5/1/2024), Israel's attacks in Gaza had claimed the lives of more than 22,600 individuals, over two-thirds of whom were women and children.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that the Israeli military is planning an investigation into the failure to prevent Hamas’ attack on October 7th, 2023. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the government should focus on the war first and then address other questions. (AP/AFP/REUTERS)
