Naim Qassem, deputy secretary general of Hezbollah, warned Israel against a full-scale war that would not bring northern Israel’s residents home, but rather end their presence “once and for all.” This statement comes after threats from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who said Israel would attack Lebanon if Hezbollah did not stop its attacks.
“[Le ministre de la Défense Yoav] Gallant threatens us that if he does not stop the attacks, he will attack Lebanon so that the inhabitants of the north can return to their homes,” Qassem said, quoted by Hebrew media. “I tell Gallant that this war will not “Zionists will not return home, but it will likely end their presence in the occupied northern territories once and for all,” he added, referring to the northern areas of Israel claimed by Lebanon.
Since October 8, Hezbollah forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border daily, claiming to do so to support Gaza in the war there. These clashes caused the deaths of nine civilians, 11 IDF soldiers and reservists on the Israeli side, as well as several attacks from Syria, without causing any injuries. Hezbollah named 289 of its members killed by Israel, mainly in Lebanon but also in Syria, while in Lebanon, 56 fighters from other terrorist groups, one Lebanese soldier and at least 60 civilians, including three journalists, died.
According to an Israeli estimate, Hezbollah had approximately 150,000 artillery rockets and ballistic missiles in 2015, a number that has reportedly increased since. Hezbollah remains deliberately vague on the exact size of its arsenal in order to maintain a strategic advantage over Israel. However, the death of its members and the displacement of many Lebanese civilians place Hezbollah in a delicate situation, with Lebanon having been in the grip of a serious economic crisis for five years and can hardly afford a war.
Hezbollah says it must pressure Israel to help Palestinians during the Gaza war. A significant escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could be catastrophic for both sides, as demonstrated by the 2006 war that left more than 1,100 dead in Lebanon and around 160 in Israel.
A senior Israeli army official told the Wall Street Journal that Israel should intensify its strikes in Lebanon to calm the situation, considering that after nearly seven months of clashes punctuated by crossfire and heavy strikes, a major confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon seems inevitable .
