The chief of Iranian-backed Hezbollah praised Hamas during a speech on Friday for its attacks against Israel, but avoided announcing a full-scale invasion by his own terror group, according to multiple reports.
Hezbollahās Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech in Lebanon on Friday reaffirming Hamasā Oct. 7 attacks against Israel as āright, wise, and justā and condemning the United States as the perpetrator of the conflict,Ā according to BBC. Nasrallah noted that Palestinians were solely responsible for the initial attacks and said Hezbollah could escalate the conflict, but did not give a clear indication that it would launch a full-scale attack against Israel, according to The Associated Press.
āThis great, large-scale operation was purely the result of Palestinian planning and implementation,ā Nasrallah said, according to the AP.
Nasrallah said that Hezbollah had already been involved in the conflict since it began, in an apparent reference to small-scale skirmishes along Israelās northern border, according to Reuters and the AP.
āSome say Iām going to announce that we have entered the battle. We already entered the battle on Oct. 8,ā Nasrallah said, according to the AP.
Nasrallah also blamed the U.S. as being responsible for the chaos erupting within Gaza and surrounding Middle Eastern regions, insisting that the country needs to āpay the priceā for defending and aiding Israel against Hamas, according to Reuters. Iranian-backed terror groups have launched over two dozen attacks against U.S. troops throughout the Middle East since Oct. 17, including at military bases in Iraq and Syria.
āIf an all-out war breaks out, you Americans will pay with your ships, your aircrafts and your soldiers,ā Nasrallah threatened, according to the Times of Israel. āRemember your defeats in Lebanon and Iraq, and your humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 1980s are still alive and their children and grandchildren are ready to face you.ā
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have ramped up troop presence at the Lebanon-Israel border in anticipation of a potential attack. Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi told Hezbollah in October to stay out of the conflict in Gaza and warned that their possible involvement would lead to Lebanonās ādestruction,āĀ according to Reuters.
āWe hope Hezbollah wonāt, de facto, bring about the destruction of Lebanon, because if there is a war there the result will be no less,ā Hanegbi said.
The White House and IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporterās byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactĀ [email protected].
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporterās byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contactĀ [email protected].