Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah issued a stern warning on Thursday, stating that the group is compelled to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of its top military commander. He emphasized that the deaths of their commander and a Hamas leader represented a breach of critical boundaries.
“The enemy, along with those supporting it, should brace for our inevitable response,” Nasrallah declared during a speech at the funeral of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr.
Addressing Israel directly, Nasrallah said, “You have crossed red lines you do not understand,” referencing the separate strikes in Beirut and Tehran that resulted in the deaths of Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. He characterized Haniyeh’s killing as a “dangerous assassination.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Thursday, asserting that Israel is ready for any “aggression” following threats of retaliation for the killings of Haniyeh and Shukr.
According to sources and analysts, Iran and the armed groups it supports are preparing a coordinated response designed to deter Israel while avoiding a full-scale war, particularly after losing two significant figures in less than 24 hours.
Nasrallah vowed that Hezbollah’s response would be “real, not symbolic.”
While Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death, it confirmed the elimination of Shukr, describing him as Hezbollah’s “most senior military commander” and Nasrallah’s “right-hand man.” Israel also accused him of orchestrating a recent rocket attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which resulted in the deaths of 12 children, a claim Hezbollah denies.
Shukr, who operated under the alias Hajj Mohsen, led operations in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has reportedly established a “support front,” engaging in frequent exchanges of fire with Israel since the Gaza war began in October.
“We, along with all support fronts, have entered a new phase,” Nasrallah stated, alluding to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups that have targeted Israel in support of Hamas following the Palestinian group’s October 7 assault on Israel, sparking the conflict.
“The battle is open on all fronts,” he continued, noting that the extent of Hezbollah’s escalation would depend on Israel’s actions and responses.
Additionally, Nasrallah said that while Hezbollah has not launched any new attacks since Shukr’s killing, operations along the border would resume on Friday morning, though these actions would not constitute the group’s retaliation for the deaths of Shukr and Haniyeh.
Nasrallah described the Beirut strike as “an act of aggression, not just an assassination,” asserting that Israel targeted “a civilian building, not a military base,” resulting in civilian casualties.
The strike on the densely populated Beirut suburb, a known Hezbollah stronghold, also claimed the lives of three women and two children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
