Hezbollah indicated today, Thursday, that it would cease attacks on Israel when Israeli assaults on the Gaza Strip stop, but it is also prepared to continue fighting if Israel persists in its military actions. Hezbollah leader Hassan Fadlallah stated, "The war in the south is linked to the aggression against Gaza on one hand, and on the other hand, to securing ways to protect our country." He added in remarks made during the memorial ceremony for a Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike this week, "When the occupation (Israeli) stops its aggression against Gaza, this front will cease because it is a supportive front."
Two sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking told Reuters on Tuesday that the group would halt fire on Israel if Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza, provided Israeli forces do not continue bombing Lebanon. Mediators are seeking to reach a truce in Gaza, which U.S. President Joe Biden hopes will take effect by the upcoming Ramadan, expected to begin on March 10.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant indicated on Sunday that Israel plans to increase attacks on Hezbollah should a ceasefire be reached in the Gaza conflict. However, Gallant also left the door open for a diplomatic agreement to achieve Israel's goal of a withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the border and the return of tens of thousands of Israelis who fled the area.
The fighting, which is the most severe between Hezbollah and Israel since 2006, has displaced tens of thousands of people in Lebanon. Fadlallah, referring to Gallant's statements, noted that the Israeli Defense Minister threatened to "continue targeting Lebanon." He added in remarks distributed by his office that "the resistance will confront any aggression against its country, to re-commit the occupation to its equations that have protected Lebanon over the years, as it has the capabilities to enforce that."
