Hezbollah’s Deputy Leader, Naim Qassem, announced on Sunday that the Lebanese Islamist movement is entering a “new phase” in its battle against Israel since the war in Gaza began, according to France Presse.
“We have entered a new phase of open confrontation with Israel,” Qassem said during the funeral of Ibrahim Aqil, a senior military official of Hezbollah killed in an Israeli strike on Friday.
Qassem added that threats would not stop Hezbollah, declaring the group is “ready for any military scenario” against Israel. Sunday’s Hezbollah strikes on Israeli military facilities and an airbase in northern Israel are part of this “open confrontation phase.”
He reiterated that only a ceasefire in Gaza would end Hezbollah’s attacks, while labeling Israel’s military actions as a “dilemma” for the country and its northern residents.
Tensions have sharply escalated, with ongoing cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel, raising fears of a broader conflict.
