Hezbollah Says It Does Not Intend to Go to War with Israel but Is Prepared to Respond

Na'im Qassem, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah Lebanon, reacted to statements made by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, stating that Hezbollah does not intend to start a war but is ready to respond if Israel attacks. These remarks came after Gallant emphasized that Israel is determined to maintain security along its northern borders and is prepared for any potential incidents. Sheikh Na'im Qassem stated in a speech in Beirut: "We do not intend to start a war and consider it futile, but if Israel initiates a war, we will respond with full force, and both sides will suffer heavy casualties." He also warned that if Israel believes it can return refugees to their homes through such a war, it should be prepared to face hundreds of thousands of additional refugees. Since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 and the beginning of the Gaza war, Hezbollah has been engaged daily with Israeli forces in support of this Palestinian group. As a result of these clashes, thousands have been displaced in the border areas of Lebanon and Israel. According to a report by Agence France-Presse, 623 people have been killed in Lebanon since the beginning of these conflicts, most of whom were military personnel, but at least 142 civilians are among the dead. On the Israeli side, at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians have lost their lives. Qassem further stated: "Israeli refugees cannot return, no matter how many sacrifices are made. So it is better for them to think carefully before making decisions; we are prepared for any scenario." In late August, the Israeli army announced that it had thwarted a major attack from Hezbollah, which was aimed at avenging a Hezbollah military commander killed in an Israeli airstrike near Beirut. Israel stated that in this operation, thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers were destroyed, while Hezbollah claimed it had only launched one drone and a series of missile attacks towards Israel. This conflict marked the largest exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the beginning of the Gaza war, but since then, violence has decreased, and analysts believe that both sides are reluctant to escalate the conflict further and expand it to a regional level.