The leader of Hezbollah made a statement for the first time since the beginning of the new conflict between Israel and Hamas. It was anticipated that he would announce a "second front," but he stated that the "second front" is already open.
The leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, made a statement for the first time since October 7th when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel. He expressed support for the actions of the "brothers from Hamas" while emphasizing that Hamas did not share its plans with Hezbollah before the attack, and it was a "100% Palestinian operation."
Nasrallah also welcomed the actions of groups in Yemen and Iraq that declared their participation in the war of Hamas terrorists against Israel.
Some analysts had expected that Nasrallah would announce the commencement of large-scale military operations against Israel from Lebanese territory during his previously announced address, but he did not do so. Instead, he stated that Hezbollah had joined the war alongside Hamas and against Israel on October 8th, the day after it began.
Following the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israeli territory. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with airstrikes on Hezbollah positions. The IDF has increased the number of troops along the Lebanese border.
Nasrallah stated, "Every day, we attack Israeli soldiers, tanks, drones. We are engaged in real battles. The number of our martyrs - 57 - confirms this. Our operations on the border have forced the Israeli army to shift forces and equipment from Gaza and the West Bank to the Lebanese front."
He also called on Arab countries that export oil to halt their shipments to Israel, saying that "Victory for Gaza against Israel will not be a victory for Iran or the Muslim Brotherhood. It will be, first and foremost, a patriotic victory for the Palestinians, as well as for Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon." Nasrallah referred to it as the "duty" of Arab countries to support Hamas.
Nasrallah placed responsibility for the start of the war on the United States and promised that the U.S. would "pay for Israel's crimes in Gaza."