Nasrallah Says Hezbollah Will Also Ceasefire if Gaza Ceasefire is Achieved

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, stated that the extremist group Hamas is negotiating for a ceasefire in the Gaza war on behalf of itself and the entire 'Resistance Axis.' The United States and European countries have classified Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations; however, they are considered proxy groups of the Islamic Republic alongside other militants in the Middle East and are referred to as the 'Resistance Axis' by Iran and its allies. In a televised speech broadcast on Wednesday, July 20, during the funeral of a slain Hezbollah member, Nasrallah emphasized that Hezbollah would agree to whatever Hamas agrees to. He added that if a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is reached, Hezbollah would also declare a ceasefire 'without discussion and regardless of any agreement, mechanism, or separate negotiation.' Nasrallah warned that the group is not afraid of war with Israel and is prepared for it, citing the recent increase in rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. In recent weeks, the U.S. and France have undertaken diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement to prevent an all-out war between the parties following the escalation of retaliatory attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. Since Hamas's attack on Israeli territory on October 7 of last year, which initiated a large-scale military assault by Israel on the Gaza Strip, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along the borders of the two countries has continued almost uninterrupted for about nine months. During this time, Israeli airstrikes on the positions and forces of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria have intensified. As a result of the exchange of fire between the parties, in addition to the deaths of hundreds of Lebanese and dozens of Israelis, tens of thousands of people from both Lebanon and Israel have been forced to evacuate their homes and leave these areas. The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had conducted an airstrike on a Hezbollah base in the Janta area in southern Lebanon, targeting the group's air defense system. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Hezbollah confirmed that one of its members, Yasser Nimer Qarnabesh, was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Syria. AFP reported that he was a former bodyguard of Hassan Nasrallah, and Al Arabiya identified him as a senior member of Hezbollah. Reuters quoted two security sources stating that Qarnabesh was a mid-level member of Hezbollah involved in 'weapon transfer' for the group. The Israeli army also reported on Wednesday that its tanks and artillery targeted Syrian army positions in the Golan Heights. On Tuesday, following rocket attacks by Hezbollah on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, two Israeli citizens, a married couple, were killed. Israel has held the Syrian army responsible for activities occurring within its territory and stated that it does not allow violations of its sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Minister announced on Wednesday that '60 percent' of Hamas militants have been killed or wounded as a result of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip over the past nine months. Yoav Gallant, in remarks to the Israeli parliament, also stated that the army has dismantled most of the 24 battalions that Hamas's military wing had at the beginning of the war.