Retaliation Is Inevitable, Nasrallah Warns Israel

Nasrallah confirmed on Thursday that the Israeli attack on Hareit Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut was an aggression targeting civilian buildings and killing civilians, not just an assassination operation.

The aggression resulted in the martyrdom of five civilians, three women, and two children, in addition to Iranian military advisor Milad Bidi.

In a speech delivered at a large funeral ceremony held for Shukr, Nasrallah said that the Israeli regime tried to label its aggression as a "response" to the incident in Majdal Shams, Al Mayadeen reported.

He reiterated that the Resistance has rejected this accusation and denied responsibility after a thorough investigation, adding, "We have the courage to take responsibility if it was our attack, even if it was a mistake, and we have precedents in this matter."

Nasrallah also emphasized that what the Israeli occupation committed "is not a reaction to what happened in Majdal Shams, but rather a claim, deception, and part of the war and battle," pointing out that the occupation "appointed itself as prosecutor, judge, and executioner."

The Hezbollah chief pointed out that "Israel cannot accept the hypothesis that the incident in Majdal Shams was due to an Israeli interceptor missile" despite the massive evidence suggesting it, which was even put forward by numerous military experts.

He affirmed that "the aim of accusing the Resistance is to incite sectarian strife between the people… in order to undermine the most significant achievements of the al-Aqsa Flood" and to disrupt unity and solidarity among Arabs and people of the region.

However, Nasrallah confirmed that this strife was quelled and disabled "thanks to the awareness and firm positions of the leaders of the Druze community," extending his gratitude to the political and spiritual leaders of the Druze for their stance.

Elsewhere in his address, the leader of Hezbollah extended condolences to the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades on the martyrdom of the head of the political bureau of the movement, Ismail Haniyeh, and his companion, Wasim Abu Shabaan, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, as a result of an Israeli attack.

He emphasized that the Islamic Republic considers the killing of martyr Haniyeh as more significant than the aggression on its consulate in Syria.

Apart from the fact that the assassination attack was an infringement on Iran's national security and sovereignty, "the most important aspect is that Iran considers it to be an attack on its honor," pointing to the statement of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who considered that the Israeli regime assassinated a "guest of the Islamic Republic".

"Do they imagine they can kill the leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Iran will remain silent?," Nasrallah questioned, emphasizing that "Israel" has crossed major red lines.

"For Israelis celebrating that they have assassinated Resistance prominent leaders in Beirut and Tehran and earlier attacked Hodeidah... you will cry a lot because you do not realize which red lines you have crossed and (what) you have committed," he warned.

Announcing a new phase of the confrontation, Nasrallah said, "We are facing a major battle where matters have surpassed the issue of support fronts," adding, "We are in an open battle on all fronts, and it has entered a new phase."

He emphasized that the escalation of the new phase "depends on the reactions of the (Israeli) occupation."

He declared that the Israeli regime and its backers "must await our inevitable response" and that "there is no debate or argument about this."

"The decision is now in the hands of the frontline, its circumstances, and the opportunities it offers. We are looking for a solid and well-studied response, not a formal one," Nasrallah stated.