Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, called in a speech Friday for people to “work day and night” to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it is Hezbollah’s “primary goal.”
Nasrallah said the powerful Iran-backed Lebanese paramilitary group’s secondary goal is for Hamas to emerge “victorious” in Gaza.
He also described the war as a “turning point.”
“The victory of Gaza means a victory for Palestine, for Jerusalem, for Aqsa and the Holy Sepulcher and all the neighboring countries,” Nasrallah said.
Warning of a new front: Nasrallah went on to say Hezbollah has been in an “unprecedented battle” with Israel on the Israel-Lebanon border since October 8, adding that “the possibility of the Lebanese front escalating into broad battle is a realistic option.”
“Israel should take this into account,” he said in his speech.
Some background: Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Islamist movement with one of the most powerful paramilitary forces in the Middle East. The group, which has its main base on the Israel-Lebanon border, could become a wildcard player in the Hamas-Israel war and spark a wider regional conflict.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in tit-for-tat skirmishes across the border in northern Israel and southern Lebanon since the war began. The Lebanese group has voiced support for Hamas’ cause but not yet directly intervened on its behalf, linking its clashes with Israel to attacks on Lebanese soil.
US intelligence officials were watching Nasrallah’s speech closely Friday for signals about Hezbollah’s intentions, an intelligence source told CNN on Thursday.
CNN
