Hezbollah threatens to attack Israel as more civilians die
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened on July 17th that the group will attack Israel should the country continue targeting Lebanese civilians, The New Arab and agencies reported.
“Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted,” he said in a televised address marking the Shia holy day of Ashoura.
On July 16th, five Syrian civilians — including three children — were killed in Israeli strikes, and at least three Lebanese civilians had been killed the day before. Israel claimed it struck Hezbollah militants and infrastructure in Lebanon, but did not intentionally target civilians.
Israel and Hezbollah exchanged cross-border attacks since Hezbollah announced a “support front” with Palestinians. The group’s ally, Hamas, had attacked southern Israeli border communities on October 7th in response to Israeli occupation and aggression.
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The fighting between both entities has killed over 100 civilians and 300 Hezbollah fighters, incurring levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
Nasrallah promised that destroyed homes would be rebuilt “more beautiful than they were before.” He also undermined Israel’s ability to enter into full-scale war with Lebanon, saying its military capabilities had been degraded in Gaza. A senior Israeli electricity official reiterated a similar sentiment in regards to Israel’s infrastructure.
Many fear the possibility of greater war as Israel’s war on Gaza continues and negotiations have reached stalemate status in terms of establishing a ceasefire agreement. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that both wars could lead to “full-scale regional conflict” in the Middle East.
Israel has said it is undertaking the necessary preparations for a wider operation, but no decision has yet been made. Hezbollah said it does not want war with Israel but is “ready” for it.
The New Arab and agencies
