In an interview with the BBC, Sheikh Naim Qassem, second in command of Hezbollah, threatened against the escalation of a wider regional war in the Middle East if the bombing in Gaza persists.
According to Qassem, “very serious and very dangerous developments could occur in the region, and nobody would be able to stop the repercussions.”
In his speech on November 3, Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, promised to retaliate across the border for any civilian fatality that occurs in Lebanon. Notably, though, he has not threatened Israel with total war.
Qassem also maintained that Israel’s actions would be the cause of any escalation. He also mentioned that Iran “supports and finances” Hezbollah, but re-stated what Nasrallah said in his speech: that Iran did not give the orders.
When discussing the Lebanese fear of a war escalation, Qassem made no excuses. He mentioned, “It’s the right of any Lebanese to be afraid of war. That’s normal. Nobody likes war. Tell the Israeli entity to stop the aggression so that the battles do not expand.”
