As Hezbollah continues cross-border shelling, Nasrallah says attacks won't stop until Israel agrees to Gaza ceasefire
Lebanese terror group has been attacking northern Israeli communities almost daily since Hamas' Oct. 7 incursion
The leader of the Hezbollah terror organization, Hassan Nasrallah, announced on Tuesday that the Iranian terror proxy in Lebanon would only stop its attacks on northern Israel if Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.
“On that day, when the shooting stops in Gaza, we will stop the shooting in the south,” Nasrallah said in a televised address.
Nasrallah said that the “proposals” of “foreign delegations” only “have one goal, which is the security of Israel, the protection of Israel,” but failed to mention foreign ministers from France, Great Britain and other countries, who have traveled to Lebanon to seek an end to the hostilities. Last month, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in the region in an effort to de-escalate the northern border conflict.
“You read the paper – there’s nothing. There’s Israel’s security,” Nasrallah said, presumably referring to France’s written proposal.
The French proposal, which was delivered to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces, including its Radwan Elite Forces, a 6-mile (10-kilometer) distance from the border between Lebanon and Israel.
The plan also suggests an end to Hezbollah and Israeli military operations in the north. “Their priority [of foreign mediators] is Israel’s security,” Nasrallah charged.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said the proposal’s ultimate goal was to achieve peace in the region.
“We made proposals. We are in contact with the Americans and it’s important that we bring together all initiatives and build peace,” Séjourné said.
Nasrallah claimed the French plan did not properly address Hezbollah’s territorial border claims, including the Shebaa Farms and the cross-border town of Ghajar, which are both under Israeli jurisdiction.
Nasrallah threatened that Hezbollah would continue its shelling of northern Israel and possibly escalate the hostilities, stating “all options are on the table” and that Israel would have to evacuate “millions” in the case of escalation.
“We were hoping that once the ceasefire is declared in Gaza, the attacks would stop in Lebanon. However, [Defense Minister Yoav Gallant] said that this will not be the case, that even if they stop their attacks on Gaza, they will continue to strike Lebanon. Gallant said he won’t stop, so don’t stop. We won’t stop either,” Nasrallah stated.
Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks against northern Israel have already displaced 80,000 Israelis. The residents are concerned they will be vulnerable to a terror attack similar to the one perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 unless the IDF manages to force Hezbollah away from the border.
On Wednesday, one Israeli was killed and eight injured from a missile launched by Hezbollah forces that directly struck the northern city of Safed.
On Tuesday, there were two Israeli civilian victims of Hezbollah’s aggression – a 47-year-old mother and her 15-year-old son – in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona. Both were injured by a Hezbollah rocket that struck the city. Following their evacuation to a nearby hospital their conditions worsened and were described as “serious” by the hospital.
Hezbollah has been attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border with Lebanon on an almost daily basis since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas in the south.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.