- Hezbollah threatens new missile targets if Israel persists
- Nasrallah: Civilian deaths will trigger broader attacks
- Israel and Hezbollah tensions may escalate into full-scale war
Hezbollah has threatened to find new targets for its missile assaults if Israel continues to “target” people in Lebanon.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese armed group, issued the threat during a televised address on Wednesday. His statements raise concerns that the low-level struggle between Israel and the Iran-aligned group that has been ongoing since the beginning of the war in Gaza could evolve into a full-scale war.
Noting that eight non-combatants had been murdered in recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Nasrallah warned that more civilian deaths would result in Hezbollah firing on new Israeli communities.
“Continuing to target civilians will push the Resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted,” he stated in a speech commemorating the predominantly Shia holy day Ashura.
Israeli raids in Lebanon on Tuesday killed five people, including three children. The day prior, state media and security sources said that at least three Lebanese citizens were murdered.
‘Children at Risk’
Israel has stated that it strikes Hezbollah fighters and facilities in Lebanon but does not target civilians.
Its attacks have killed almost 500 people in Lebanon since October 7. The majority of casualties have been Hezbollah combatants, although more than 100 civilians have also been reported killed.
The bombings have also caused havoc in Lebanese border villages.
Hezbollah assaults in Israel have killed 17 soldiers and 13 civilians, according to police, prompting months-long evacuation orders in the north.
The murders of children who were playing in front of their homes when the Israeli attack began on Tuesday have sparked widespread condemnation.
UNICEF, the UN children’s organization, described the episode as “horrific”.
More children are at risk as long as the violence continues,” the agency stated in a post on X, adding that they must be safeguarded by international law.
‘There are no tanks left’
As tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate, fears grow of an all-out war that might destabilize the region.
Israel says it is preparing for a more extensive operation in Lebanon, but no decision has been taken. Hezbollah has stated that it does not seek a war with Israel but is prepared if it occurs.
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Nasrallah maintained on Wednesday that Hezbollah would continue to fight, claiming that Israel is on its heels after ten months of relentless conflict in Gaza.
He downplayed Israel’s ability to fight a full-fledged war on its northern front, claiming that its military forces had been weakened in Gaza.
“If your tanks come to Lebanon … you will have no tanks left,” Nasrallah reportedly threatened.
The Hezbollah commander also pledged to Lebanese whose homes had been destroyed by Israeli attacks that they would be restored “more beautiful than they were before,” calling them a “symbol of our steadfastness and resistance.”
