Wants to attack Israel

Hezbollah chief rants: consequences are “irrelevant”

Nassrallah's video message was broadcast on a large screen in Beirut.(Bild: AP/Mustafa Jamalddine)

The head of the Shiite militia Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has described the delay in the announced retaliatory strike against Israel as "part of the punishment". He emphasized in a video message: "Our retaliation will come. Nothing will stop us, no matter what the consequences."

The response following the killings of a high-ranking Hezbollah commander and the Hamas foreign chief would be "strong and effective". A retaliatory strike could be carried out together with other groups of the so-called "axis of resistance" or alone, he said.

The term refers to Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah as well as militias in Iraq, Syria and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It was a "great battle". Nasrallah emphasized that Iran was obliged to react after the killing of Hamas foreign leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

"The aim of the battle is to prevent Israel's victory," said Nasrallah. According to its own statements, Hezbollah is acting in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The signs in the Middle East point to escalation.(Bild: Mustafa Jamalddine)

Militia with state-of-the-art equipment
Hezbollah has around 150,000 rockets, drones and cruise missiles at its disposal. Compared to the last open war with Israel in 2006, it has increased its arsenal tenfold and could hit Israel much harder.

Following Israel's killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last week, Nasrallah had already announced his intention to retaliate. There are fears of a major attack on Israel by Hezbollah together with Iran.

Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in daily firefights since the beginning of the Gaza war in October. More than 120 civilians have been killed, most of them on the Lebanese side. In addition, more than 350 Hezbollah members and Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.