Hezbollah's Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, disclosed that Israel is hiding "heavy losses" suffered in the ongoing conflict along the southern Lebanese border. In a televised speech during a memorial ceremony, Nasrallah emphasized the exhaustive nature of Hezbollah's operations against the occupying regime.
Nasrallah expressed condolences for the recent deaths, including Saleh al-Arouri, the Hamas deputy head, killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Beirut, and Iranians in the Daesh-claimed bombings in Kerman. Warning of retaliation for Al-Arouri's death, Nasrallah asserted that silence about such a "grave violation" would expose Lebanon to greater harm.
Highlighting the intense conflict since October, Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah conducted over 670 operations along a 100 km stretch of the southern front, targeting 48 border sites multiple times. He claimed successful destruction of technical and intelligence equipment in northern occupied territories and the significant damage to Israeli vehicles and tanks.
Nasrallah referenced Israeli health officials' reports suggesting a death toll three times higher than disclosed, with over 2,000 casualties in northern hospitals. He asserted that Israel's secrecy about losses is part of its overall strategy.
The Hezbollah leader mentioned the displacement of Israelis from northern settlements, a rare reversal of historical trends where Lebanese people were displaced. Nasrallah suggested this displacement would exert psychological, political, and security pressure on the Israeli government.
Characterizing the ongoing battle as a "historic" opportunity for full liberation, Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah's operations confirmed deterrence equations with Israel. He saw this as a chance to establish an equation preventing encroachment on Lebanon's sovereignty.
The revelations shed light on the intensity of the conflict and its potential implications for the geopolitical landscape in the region.