The leader of the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, claimed in a speech on Tuesday the group’s attacks had displaced 100,000 Israelis and another two million could lose their homes, the latest in a series of escalating threats against the Jewish state from Beirut since October 7.
Nasrallah used his remarks on Tuesday – at a “ceremony held by the Lebanese resistance movement [sic] in honor of Lebanon’s wounded and captured [terrorists],” according to Iran’s PressTV state outlet – to declare that Hezbollah would respond proportionately to any self-defense operations by Israel to prevent more jihadist slaughter on its territory. “All options are on the table,” he declared.
Hezbollah has faced significant pressure from other jihadist organizations to become more active in the war against Israel since October 7, when Hamas – a Sunni terrorist organization that competes for funding and armament from the Iranian state with Hezbollah – invaded Israel from its stronghold in Gaza, killing an estimated 1,200 people and engaging in atrocities including the killing of children as young as infants, widespread torture of civilians, gang rape, and desecration of the corpses of their victims, filmed for social media. Iran’s extensive network of jihadist terror groups united to support Hamas in the aftermath of the attack, including some, such as the Houthi terrorist gang of Yemen, formally declaring war on Israel.
Nasrallah refrained from declaring war on behalf of Hezbollah and did not issue an official speech until November, building anticipation for a major address against Israel. Instead, the terror leader issued remarks repeating his usual threats and complaints about Israel, leaving jihadist supporters unimpressed. Hezbollah has engaged in attacks on Israel since October 7, mostly rocket attacks on border communities near Lebanon.
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More recently, on Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, that killed a mother and her teen son.
The speech on Tuesday appeared to be an attempt to rekindle enthusiasm among Hezbollah’s terrorist supporters.
“All options are on the table. Our eyes are on Gaza as we fight on the border,” Nasrallah promised. Lebanon is located on the eastern border of Israel, on the other side of Gaza. “If you widen [the front], we will widen. If you intensify, we will intensify.”
According to the Emirati newspaper The National, Nasrallah claimed that Hezbollah’s terrorism had displaced 100,000 Israelis living near the border and warned that Hezbollah intended to displace millions of Israelis.
“You will have to find a place to shelter two million people from the north,” the newspaper quoted Nasrallah as saying.
Elsewhere in his speech, Nasrallah claimed that his group’s terrorist activities “have generated real achievements for our people and our country.”
“The existence of Israel is a disaster for the entire region and a fearful and deterred Israel represents a less dangerous and harmful situation for the people of the region,” Nasrallah continued, according to PressTV. “In light of what is happening in Gaza, the Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, and Egyptian national interests require that Israel emerge from this battle defeated and broken.”
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Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart NewsNasrallah also claimed that representatives of several Western countries had attempted to negotiate with him to end Hezbollah’s hostilities against Israel.
“The western delegations are presenting the Israeli proposal just as it is given to them,” Nasrallah claimed, meaning without questioning the Israeli government. The head of Hezbollah declared, however, that “the enemy is not in a position to place conditions on Lebanon” and Hezbollah would not allow the fractured and weak Lebanese government accept any such agreement.
American, British, and French negotiators have reportedly visited Lebanon seeking to de-escalate tensions with Israel, to no avail. The news agency Reuters reported on Monday that French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne presented the Lebanese government with a deal that, if accepted, would require Hezbollah to end its presence within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of Israel. The Times of Israel suggested that Nasrallah’s rejection of an unspecified proposal because it addressed “Israel’s security” was likely a response to the French offer.
Nasrallah has steadily increased the belligerence in his language since his widely panned address in November. On that occasion, The National reported, Lebanon was “on the edge of their seats” expecting Nasrallah to declare war on Israel. Instead, the newspaper noted, some ended up joking, “this speech could’ve been an email.”
“The speech turned out to be less confrontational than anticipated. Mr Nasrallah has chosen to keep his options open, but it appears he has recognised the lack of appetite within the Lebanese population for Lebanon’s involvement in this conflict,” political analyst Karim Bitar told the newspaper.
Nasrallah’s uninspiring display followed a surprising lack of enthusiasm from Hezbollah initially in response to October 7 – and even open mockery from some Hezbollah supporters of the leadership of Hamas, which has spent years living in luxury in Qatar rather than engaging in jihad directly in Gaza. That mockery was a response to some supporters of Hamas who complained that Hezbollah was not doing enough to destroy Israel.
In January, Nasrallah delivered an angrier speech threatening war “with no ceiling, with no limits, with no rules” against Israel.
“We are not afraid of war. We don’t fear it. We are not hesitant. If we were, we would have stopped at the front,” he claimed.
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