Hezbollah leader calls device attacks ‘a declaration of war’ | BBC News

Summary

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah responded to recent attacks in Lebanon, accusing Israel of orchestrating them and stating they crossed all red lines. The attacks have resulted in 37 deaths and over 3,000 injuries. Nasrallah acknowledged the significant impact on Hezbollah's operational capabilities but vowed resilience and retribution. The situation in Lebanon is tense, with Hezbollah's influence over the government and the potential for further conflict amid an already fragile economic state.

Takeaways

• 📢 Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has given his first public response to recent attacks in Lebanon, accusing Israel of being behind the operations and stating that they crossed all red lines.
• 🚨 The death toll from the attacks has risen to 37, with over 3,000 people wounded.
• 💬 Nasrallah's speech was a mix of rallying support, paying tribute to first responders and injured fighters, and promising resilience and retribution.
• 🏹 Hezbollah claims their Command and Control system remains undamaged despite the attacks, suggesting they are still operationally capable.
• 🔍 The Israeli strategy is influenced by a hard-right coalition government, with differing views between military chiefs and politicians, especially regarding the West Bank and Palestinian autonomy.
• 🛑 Hezbollah, classified as a terrorist group by the UK, US, and other Western governments, also functions as a political party integrated into the Lebanese political system.
• 🏠 The situation in Lebanon is complex, with a history of civil war and a current fragile economic state, raising concerns about the potential for renewed conflict.
• 🌍 The conflict is part of a broader regional struggle, with underlying issues including the Palestinian quest for an independent homeland and international political support.
• 🔎 The Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is under pressure from far-right elements within its coalition, affecting its approach to conflicts in Lebanon and with Palestinians.
• ⚖️ The potential for a full-scale Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon is discussed, with past experiences suggesting it could be costly for both sides.

Q & A

What was the main topic of Hassan Nasrallah's speech?

Hassan Nasrallah's speech addressed the recent attacks in Lebanon, accusing Israel of being behind the operation and stating that it crossed all red lines.

How many people were reported to be killed and wounded in the attacks mentioned in the script?

The number of people killed has risen to 37, with over 3,000 people wounded.

What did Nasrallah claim about Hezbollah's Command and Control system after the attacks?

Nasrallah claimed that Hezbollah's Command and Control system is undamaged, despite the attacks.

What was the outcome of the last major Israeli incursion into Lebanon in 2006 according to the script?

The last major Israeli incursion into Lebanon in 2006 ended in a stalemate, with Israel finding Hezbollah to be a tougher opponent than anticipated.

What was the purpose of Nasrallah's speech as described in the script?

The purpose of Nasrallah's speech was to rally the troops, pay tribute to first responders and emergency health workers, and assert Hezbollah's resilience and readiness to face any further aggression.

What is Hezbollah's status in Lebanon as mentioned in the script?

Hezbollah is both a political party and a significant part of the Lebanese political fabric, with influence and control over certain areas.

What is the current state of the Lebanese economy as discussed in the script?

The Lebanese economy is described as being in a very powerless state, which could exacerbate the impact of any potential warfare.

What is the Israeli government's stance on the West Bank and Palestinians according to the script?

The current Israeli government, which is the most hard-right since 1948, is strongly opposed to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and is resistant to international pressure on this issue.

What is the potential consequence for Benjamin Netanyahu if he makes a deal against the far-right elements of his government?

If Benjamin Netanyahu makes a deal against the far-right elements of his government, his coalition may collapse, leading to elections which he could lose, and potentially facing corruption charges and jail time.

What does the script suggest about the potential for a full-scale Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon?

The script suggests that a full-scale Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon could be very painful for both Israel and Lebanon, and that Hezbollah has prepared for such an event by pre-positioning anti-tank devices and mines.

Outlines

00:00

📢 Hezbollah Leader's Response to Attacks in Lebanon

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech addressing the recent attacks in Lebanon, accusing Israel of being behind the sabotage operations that have killed 37 and wounded over 3,000. Nasrallah claimed that Israel crossed all moral, humane, and legal boundaries with the attacks. Despite the significant damage to Hezbollah's command and control system, Nasrallah expressed defiance and readiness for further conflict, stating that they would welcome an Israeli ground invasion and would be resilient in the face of adversity. The speech also served to rally support, paying tribute to first responders and injured fighters, and emphasizing Hezbollah's strength and resilience. The situation in Lebanon is tense, with the Lebanese government expressing concern over civilian casualties, and the fear that the country could be pushed back into warfare amidst an already struggling economy.

05:02

🏛️ Israeli Strategy and Internal Political Dynamics

The Israeli strategy is influenced by a coalition government under Benjamin Netanyahu, which is under pressure from far-right elements. There appears to be a divergence between the military's objectives and the political desires, with the current government being the most hard-right in Israel's history. Key figures in the government, such as the security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, are associated with the settler movement and oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The underlying conflict over the West Bank and the aspirations of Palestinians for an independent homeland with East Jerusalem as the capital are further complicated by the international community's stance and the resistance from the current Israeli government. Netanyahu's political position is precarious, as making concessions to the far-right could lead to the collapse of his coalition, potential elections, and personal legal consequences.

Keywords

💡Hezbollah

Hezbollah is a political and militant group based in Lebanon, recognized as a terrorist organization by countries like the UK, US, and others. In the script, Hezbollah is central to the conflict discussed, with its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, responding to Israeli attacks. Hezbollah’s dual identity as both a political party and a militia, with significant control over Lebanese political life, is highlighted.

💡Hassan Nasrallah

Hassan Nasrallah is the leader of Hezbollah, and in the transcript, he addresses the public regarding Israeli attacks. His speech serves as a rallying cry to Hezbollah supporters, acknowledging the damage from the attacks but reinforcing Hezbollah's resilience and commitment to fight back. His role as a symbolic figure for Hezbollah's resistance against Israel is emphasized.

💡Israel

Israel is the state involved in military conflict with Hezbollah as described in the transcript. The Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is pursuing military operations in Lebanon. The transcript references past and present Israeli incursions into Lebanon, illustrating the long-standing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

💡Red lines

In the transcript, 'red lines' refers to the moral, legal, and military boundaries that Hezbollah accuses Israel of crossing during the recent attacks. This concept illustrates the notion of limits in warfare that, when crossed, lead to significant escalations or retaliation. Nasrallah claims Israel’s actions have violated these boundaries.

💡Israeli Ground Forces

Israeli Ground Forces are the military units mentioned in relation to past and potential future invasions of Southern Lebanon. The transcript refers to Israel’s previous incursions into Lebanon, notably in 2006, which resulted in heavy losses for Israel. The current situation raises the possibility of another ground invasion.

💡Lebanon

Lebanon is the country where the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is taking place. The transcript provides context about Lebanon's multi-confessional society and its fragile political and economic state. Hezbollah operates from within Lebanon, intertwining the country’s political and militant dynamics.

💡Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel, mentioned in the transcript as being under pressure from far-right elements within his coalition government to extend war aims. The political tension within Israel's leadership is highlighted, especially in relation to the military strategy towards Hezbollah and the Palestinian territories.

💡Palestinians

The Palestinians are referenced in the context of the broader Israeli conflict. The script mentions their desire for an independent homeland, which is resisted by Israel's current government. This issue underlies much of the regional conflict, including the tensions with Hezbollah.

💡Civil War (Lebanon)

The Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) is mentioned as a historical reference point. The script notes fears that Lebanon could once again descend into conflict, similar to its devastating civil war, given the current tensions. This war has left deep political and social scars that still influence Lebanon's fragile stability.

💡Far-right government

The term 'far-right government' refers to the current Israeli coalition government, the most hard-right in Israel's history, as noted in the transcript. This government includes figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have been linked to extremist views, influencing Israel's military and political strategies in the region.

Highlights

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader, gives first public response to attacks in Lebanon.

Death toll rises to 37 with over 3,000 wounded due to sabotage communication devices.

Nasrallah accuses Israel of being behind the attacks, crossing all red lines.

Thousands of pages targeted by Israeli enemy in a synchronized operation.

Hezbollah's command and control system remains undamaged despite the attacks.

Hezbollah is not in a position to fight a war, only capable of low-level exchanges.

Nasrallah invites Israeli Ground Forces to invade, promising a strong reception.

Previous Israeli invasion in 2006 ended in a stalemate, with Hezbollah proving to be tough.

Hezbollah's use of anti-tank devices and mines against Israeli tanks in 2006.

A full-scale Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon could be very painful for both sides.

Nasrallah's speech serves as a pep talk, rallying the troops and paying tribute to first responders.

Hezbollah's resilience to bounce back from significant hits.

Threat of tough retribution and punishment for the recent blasts.

Hezbollah's significant influence and control over the Lebanese government.

Lebanon's multi-confessional nature and the balancing act among different religious groups.

Fear of Lebanon being plunged back into warfare amidst an economic crisis.

Analysis of Israel's strategy under a hard-right coalition government.

Potential gap between military desires and political objectives within the Israeli government.

The far-right's resistance to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank.

Benjamin Netanyahu's political challenges and the impact on Israel's actions.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to BBC News in the

last hour we've been monitoring a speech

from the Hezbollah leader Hassan nasrala

giving his first public response to two

days of attacks in Lebanon using

sabotage communication devices the

number of people killed has now risen to

37 with over 3,000 people wounded in a

moment or two I'll talk once again to

our security correspondent Frank Gardner

but let me tell you a little more about

what hezbollah's leader has been saying

because he accused Israel of been behind

behind that operation over the last

couple of days which he said crossed all

red

lines thousands of pages were targeted

by the Israeli enemy and detonated at

the same

time with this operation the enemy

crossed all rules laws and red

lines he didn't care about anything at

all not morally not humanely not

legally well that uh is still going on

we are monitoring that all the time with

our teams inside The Newsroom but Frank

Gardner our security corresp has been

with me through the last hour monitoring

what the hezb leader has been saying

worth just underlining hezb of course a

prescribed terrorist group by the UK Us

and other Western governments but what

have you picked out so far some of what

he says is true some of it isn't he said

our Command and control system is

undamaged oh yeah right it's absolutely

trash I mean they're in real trouble

they're reeling operationally from this

so they're in no position to fight a war

right now other than the low-level

exchange of far they're doing across the

border but where I think he's right is

where he says bring it on we welcome you

know an invasion by the Israeli Ground

Forces we will receive them here and

actually the last time Israeli Ground

Forces did go into Lebanon Southern

Lebanon in 2006 in a major offensive

they did get a bloody nose um it ended

in a very very

inconclusive uh sort of stalemate

essentially and Israel found Hezbollah

to be a much tougher nut to crack than

they thought um you know they had and I

said this in the last hour but they had

pre-positioned a lot of their anti-tank

devices they had some very powerful uh

russian-built cornet for example

anti-tank weapons uh mines that were

buried under the exact bit on the road

where they thought the Israeli tanks

would probably try and maneuver um so if

Israel does decide that it is going to

go full Tonto on this and do a fullscale

invasion of Southern Lebanon which will

be its third major incursion into that

country then in recent years then it

could be really quite painful for Israel

it's going to be very painful for

Lebanon if that happens um so what this

talk was about was not signaling here's

exactly what we're going to do here's

how we're going to fight back no it was

more of a pep talk it was rallying the

troops it was first of all paying

tribute to those uh First Responders and

emergency health workers who had rushed

to donate blood and to deal with the

wounded he uh hailed as heroes or their

Fighters who've been injured in this but

it was primarily saying we've had a

taken a big hit here we don't deny it

but we will be stronger from this we're

going to emerge more resilient and

actually don't underestimate the

resilience of organizations including

prescribed terrorist organizations like

Hezbollah and others to be able to

bounce back from things like this

because they hide amongst the people

This Is War amongst the people a and

he's repeated only again in the last few

minutes there'll be tough retribution

and just punishment for the blast we've

seen over the last couple of days I mean

Hezbollah sit there in Lebanon just

remind viewers I mean we've heard

comments and condemnation from the

Lebanese government in terms of the

civilians impacted by those explosions

how much influence control do they have

on the Lebanese government huge I mean

they are a political party as well I

mean it's very odd they are an anomaly

in the sense that they are both a

political party and a very much a part

of the fabric of Lebanese political life

alongside other parties Lebanon of

course is a multi-confessional

um country it's a it's a small place

where people speak French Arabic and

English you've got um Sunni Muslims Shia

Muslims and Hezbollah tend to be well

they are in fact entirely Shia Muslims

following the Shia branch of Islam and

you've got Drews you've got Christians

marinite Christians and so on you've got

all these different elements and so it's

been always a really difficult balancing

um act to try and keep the place on an

even Keel and of course they had a

horrific Civil War that lasted from 1975

till

1990 um and the fear now is that Lebanon

could once again be plunged back into

Warfare just as its economy is in a

really powerless State let's look at the

situation from the other direction your

assessment on the Israeli strategy

because of course it's a coalition

government we know that Benjamin

Netanyahu were extending the war aims

but under huge pressure from the far

right the extremist within his own

coalition government so in terms of

Israel's

strategy what do you discern from what

we've seen over the last couple of days

I think there may well be a bit of a gap

between what the military Chiefs want

and the security establishment on one

hand and necessarily what the

politicians want this is the mo let's be

clear about this this is the most

hard-right government in Israel's

history since 1948 the security minister

itamar bavier is um he's been convicted

of terrorism offenses he controls the

police um smotrich um is the um the

Finance Minister these people are very

much tied into the settler movement they

believe in not the West Bank and an

independent event ultimate State for the

Palestinians but this this is Judea and

Samaria and this is the god-given right

of the Jews to live there and they would

like to C they'd like to see the place

um cleansed as it were of um the

Palestinians who've been living there

for centuries so underlying all of this

all the stuff we're talking about here

in Lebanon and pages and Gaza and all

the rest of it underlying all of that is

this open running saw that the

Palestinians and this was brought to

light in the UN yesterday the

Palestinians want their own independent

contigous Homeland in West Bank with

East Jerusalem as their capital and most

of the International Community backed

them in that including Western

governments but it strongly resisted by

this government and Benjamin Netanyahu

the Israeli Prime Minister knows that if

he if he makes a deal that is against

the wishes of the far-right elements of

his government his Coalition will

collapse he'll have to call elections

and he will probably lose and many

people speculate that he will then end

up in court on corruption charges

possibly even facing jail that is the

backstory to what is going on at the

moment