Hezbollah escalates tactics against Israel amidst tensions

"Since Israel is attacking all of Lebanon, we have the right to attack any place in Israel," stated Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, in a speech broadcast Tuesday by a pro-Iranian TV channel.

He further emphasized that future attacks will primarily target Israeli military forces, assuring that Hezbollah is not seeking a total escalation of the conflict. Addressing Israelis directly, Qassem expressed his advocacy for a ceasefire.

"We do not propose this because we are in a weak position," he clarified, in reference to the possibility of a ceasefire. He assured that Hezbollah "will not be defeated."

According to AFP reports, Qassem has effectively taken over leadership of the group after the previous leader of the Shiite organization, Hassan Nasrallah, was reportedly killed in an Israeli attack in Beirut in September.

Therefore, Hezbollah has confirmed the adoption of a new strategy against Israel, with Sunday’s attack on a military base south of Haifa as a consequence. This was Hezbollah's bloodiest attack in recent weeks, a period during which Israel intensified actions against this Iran-supported group.

According to the Lebanese government, at least 2,309 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past year, primarily in recent weeks. Additionally, over 1.2 million Lebanese have been forced to leave their homes.