Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Israeli army have made statements suggesting the two avowed enemies wanted to avoid risking the further spread of the crisis beyond the Gaza Strip after a drone strike killed a Palestinian Hamas deputy leader in Beirut.

According to Reuters, in a speech in Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed that his powerful Iran-backed Shi’ite militia “cannot be silent” following the killing of Hamas deputy Saleh al-Arouri on Tuesday.

Nasrallah said his heavily armed forces would fight to the finish if Israel chose to extend the war to Lebanon, but he made no concrete threats to act against Israel in support of Hamas.

Israeli military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, when asked what Israel was doing to prepare for a potential Hezbollah response, told a reporter: “I won’t respond to what you just mentioned. We are focused on the fight against Hamas.”

 A military helicopter flies over Tel Aviv, Israel on Jan 3, 2024. — Reuters
A military helicopter flies over Tel Aviv, Israel on Jan 3, 2024. — Reuters

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