The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, will deliver his first public statements tomorrow, Friday, since the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel entered into war. Nasrallah's address will be closely monitored for indications about the potential evolution of the group's role in the conflict. Hezbollah is engaged in skirmishes with Israeli forces along the border, where 50 of its fighters were killed in the most intense escalation since the 2006 war with Israel. However, with most clashes so far limited to the border area, Hezbollah has relied on a small fraction of its firepower that Nasrallah has threatened Israel with over the years.
Many in Lebanon are eagerly awaiting the speech, which is scheduled for 3 PM (13:00 GMT), amid fears that have persisted for weeks regarding the outbreak of catastrophic conflict. Some people claim that they have no plans for the day after tomorrow, believing that his statements will signal the likelihood of escalation.
Nasrallah has remained out of sight since October 7, but other Hezbollah officials have spoken about the group's combat readiness without establishing any red lines in the conflict with Israel. In response to a question on October 22 about why Nasrallah had not spoken up to that point, MP Hassan Fadlallah stated that "Nasrallah is following the situation in Gaza moment by moment and hour by hour, supervising the battle in Lebanon," adding that "not speaking publicly is part of his management of the battle."
The airing of the speech coincides with demonstrations called for by Hezbollah to honor its fallen fighters. Sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking suggest that "the group's attacks so far have been calculated to avoid significant escalation while keeping Israeli forces occupied at the border." For its part, Israel has indicated that "it has no interest in conflict on its northern border with Lebanon."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah against opening a second front with Israel, stating that this would lead to retaliatory strikes of "unimaginable" magnitude that could cause devastation in Lebanon.
