Hezbollah: ‘Upheaval’ Inside Israel Will Preserve Hamas Thru Deal

Hezbollah’s number-two official said Friday that the “upheaval” of protests in Israel for a hostage deal and against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to lead to a deal that ends the war in Gaza while leaving Hamas intact.

Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem told Russia’s Sputnik that he believed outright war between Hezbollah and Israel was unlikely, but that the Iranian-backed terror organization was ready for it. Hezbollah launched the ongoing cross-border violence in October, firing at Israel in solidarity with the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7.

The Times of Israel reported:

Speaking to Russian outlet Sputnik, Qassem says that Israel has “no choice” but to end its war against the Hamas terror group through a ceasefire deal.

“Hamas will not stop if Israel doesn’t stop, and the most likely outcome for the war ending is through an agreement, especially because of the upheaval inside Israel,” he says, referring to anti-government protests.

Protests were held throughout 2023, until October 7, against Netanyahu’s new, right-wing government and its program of judicial reform. During the war, protests for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas began in an apolitical mode, but anti-Netanyahu protests soon revived, and the two movements eventually merged, painting Netanyahu as the obstacle to a hostage deal even as Hamas rejected one potential agreement after another.

The Biden administration stoked the anti-Netanyahu protests in 2023 and also endorsed calls for new elections in the midst of war. The protests create an impression that Israelis are divided — though most support Netanyahu’s policies.

Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating — indirectly — with signs that both sides may be willing to compromise on a deal to release some or all of the remaining 120 or so hostages (only half of whom may be alive). Israel is said to be concerned about running out of ammunition — thanks to Biden withholding shipments — if it continues to fight in Gaza while it faces possible war with Hezbollah. The sticking point is whether Hamas can keep its guns and its power.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.