The day after the assassination in Beirut of the number two in the Hamas political office, Saleh Al-Arouri, tension continues to increase in the Middle East. Egypt decides to freeze its participation in mediation between Israel and Palestinian factions while strikes and protests take place in the West Bank, Al-Arouri’s region of origin. But all eyes were on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s speech. The number one of the Lebanese ‘party of God’ said that what happened yesterday in Beirut was a “blatant Israeli aggression”, even though the Jewish State never took responsibility for the action, and “a crime that will not go unpunished”.
Nasrallah attacked Israel head-on, highlighting how it “completely failed” in its offensive and how its image in the world “collapsed”, while that of the Palestinian resistance “increased” with Hamas “enjoying the highest level of support in its history ” . Regarding the events that occurred on October 7, Nasrallah reiterated that he had no prior knowledge of them, because the organizations “operate independently of each other, based on their own interests and those of their population.” This, however, does not mean that Lebanese Shiites have “distanced themselves” from it. Nasrallah then warned Israel about possible large-scale operations in Lebanon. “Our resistance is more prepared than ever – he said – if they think about starting a war against Lebanon they will regret it. Our battle will be without borders and without rules. We are not afraid of war.”
The Israeli army responded by saying that it was “ready” also on the northern front, but the priority continues to be “the fight against Hamas” in the Gaza Strip, where, according to local authorities, the death toll has risen to 22,300. Tensions are not easing even in the Red Sea, where Yemeni Houthi rebels announced they had attacked another merchant ship bound for Israeli ports. The international ‘anti-Houthi’ coalition led by the United States and of which Italy is also part responded by calling for an “immediate end to illegal attacks” warning the Yemeni rebels that otherwise they will have to “take responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
