Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah today will break weeks of silence since the escalation broke out between Hamas and Israel, in a speech that could impact the region as the Gaza conflict rages, AFP reports.

After Hamas launched an unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon’s southern border has seen escalating tit-for-tat exchanges, mainly between Israel and Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian group, stoking fears of a broader conflagration.

The cross-border attacks heated up on Thursday, as Israel responded with a “broad assault” after Hezbollah attacked 19 Israeli positions simultaneously, according to the group. Rockets also hit the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona near the border in a barrage claimed by the Lebanese section of Hamas’s armed wing.

Nasrallah’s highly anticipated speech will be broadcast as part of an event in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, at 3pm (1pm GMT) today, in memory of fighters killed in Israeli bombardments.