Israel

Nasrallah Threatens Invasion of the Galilee Amid Escalating Hostilities

Thursday, June 20, 2024 6:16 am | י"ד סיון תשפ"ד 2 Minute Read

By Yoni Weiss

Hezbollah supporters raise their fists and cheer as they watch a speech given by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on a screen during a ceremony to commemorate the death of senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah, 55, who was killed last week by an Israeli strike in south Lebanon, in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Lebanon, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

In a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened to invade Israel’s northern Galilee region if the current conflict escalates. The speech commemorated senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah, killed in an airstrike last week. Nasrallah stated, “An invasion of Galilee is something that remains on the table if the conflict escalates.”

Nasrallah also issued a warning to Cyprus, threatening to strike the island nation if it allows IDF forces to use its airports to attack Lebanon. “We will attack Cyprus if it assists Israel,” he declared. Cyprus swiftly rejected the threats, with President Nicos Anastasiades asserting, “Cyprus is not participating in conflicts. It is part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

Nasrallah boasted about Hezbollah’s new weapons and capabilities, claiming they could strike Israel, including targets in the Mediterranean region. “We have a bank of targets in the entity and the ability to reach them. What awaits Israel in the Mediterranean is very big,” he warned.

Israeli military officials countered Nasrallah’s rhetoric, highlighting significant losses suffered by the Iran-backed group. IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told Al-Arabiya that 430 Hezbollah terrorists have been eliminated since the war began, exceeding the group’s claimed toll of 350. “We are specifically attacking Hezbollah and know where its members are located,” Hagari stated, accusing Nasrallah of misleading the Lebanese people and taking Lebanon down a dangerous path.

Also on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited air defense batteries in northern Israel, commending the troops for their security efforts and cautioning Hezbollah about Israel’s formidable military capabilities. “This defense provides a lot of security for civilians and the IDF, but we are not satisfied with that… I think the enemy only knows a small part of the capabilities we hold and will encounter them when needed at the right time,” Halevi warned.

To Read The Full Story