Hezbollah's Nasrallah warns Israel against escalation: The implications

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, addressed the situation during his speech on behalf of the "Axis of Resistance."

This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan. 

He denied any knowledge of Iran and its allies' involvement in the "Operation of Al-Aqsa Flood" but praised it.

He also emphasized establishing the front line opened by the party starting from the eighth of last month.

Nasrallah outlined the purpose of this front, which is to support the Hamas movement in its war against Israel. He did not rule out that the southern front is open to all possibilities, indicating the potential for further escalation, a full-scale war, or even a wider conflict.

The Lebanese state, represented by its army and institutions, did not respond to Nasrallah's statements, even though it holds international responsibility for the region where confrontations with Israel are taking place.

This border area is subject to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with thousands of UNIFIL troops deployed in the region.

However, Nasrallah did not address the direct losses suffered by the residents of the confrontation area, covering a stretch of 100 kilometers from the coastal town of Naqoura in the west to the occupied Shebaa Farms in the east.

These losses, in less than a month, have affected tens of thousands of citizens and resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens.

Additionally, numerous properties were destroyed, and thousands of acres of agricultural land, particularly olive fields, were set ablaze.

However, due to this negligence, no reference has been made to the significant losses that have afflicted the Lebanese economy.

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah issued direct threats against the United States, evoking events from the 1980s, stating that those who defeated the US back then are still alive today, along with their children and grandchildren.

In response, the US called on Hezbollah not to "exploit" the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said, "We and our partners have been clear: Hezbollah and others, whether states or not, should not attempt to exploit the existing conflict."

Regarding Nasrallah's threat to the US and the targeting of its fleets in the Mediterranean, the spokesperson for the National Security Council stated, "We will not engage in a war of words."

He also emphasized that "the United States is not seeking escalation or an expansion of the ongoing conflict in Gaza."

In the face of these developments, the spokesperson for the National Security Council concluded by saying, "The situation may evolve into a more deadly war between Israel and Lebanon than the 2006 war. The United States does not want to see this conflict extend into Lebanon. The potential destruction that will befall Lebanon and its people is unimaginable and can be avoided."

Nasrallah also issued a warning to Israel, stating, "The resistance operations in the south tell this enemy, which may be planning aggression against Lebanon or a preemptive operation, that you will commit the greatest folly in your history." He warned "the Zionist enemy against the escalation that has affected some Lebanese civilians, as it will bring us back to a civil vs. civil confrontation."

The response to Nasrallah came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regarding the northern front with Hezbollah, Netanyahu stated, "I repeat to our enemies: do not make a mistake with us. You will pay a steep price. The error will result in losses you cannot even imagine."