Militant group, Hezbollah said Tuesday, October 8, that it is now ready to engage in cease-fire talks with Israel, after suffering serious blows to its leadership and ranks in the last three weeks.
This was after Hezbollah had intensified its rocket fire on northern Israel in recent days, including firing over 100 rockets at Haifa on Tuesday.
Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, publicly endorsed a truce with Israel, the first such time the terror group has proposed a cease-fire not conditioned on the war in Gaza.
“We support the political efforts led by [Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih] Berri under the banner of achieving a cease-fire,” Qassem said.
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“Once the cease-fire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” he added.
Qassem’s announcement came within hours of a massive barrage that sent more than 100 missiles soaring from Lebanon at Israel’s northern city of Haifa, the third-largest metropolis in the Jewish state.
Officials said one woman in her 70s was wounded by shrapnel from the attack, which came just a day after another missile barrage on the city that left two others injured.
Hezbollah had previously vowed that it would not stop attacking Israel until it agrees to end the war in Gaza, with the Iran-backed terror group firing missiles over the border nearly every day since Oct. 8.
Qassem is currently the highest-ranking member of the terror group after Israel decimated its ranks in recent months.
Recall that Israel had killed most of Hezbollah’s leaders and many commanders of its elite Radwan Force in air strikes in the past three weeks, and targeted many of its rocket and missile sites, after officially designating, as an aim of the war, the imperative to enable the safe return of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel displaced for a year by Hezbollah rocket fire.
Those Who Harm Us, Will Pay A Price—Gallant
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that any attempt to harm Israel will be met with a “deadly, precise, and surprising” response.
In a tweet shared on his verified Twitter account, Gallant emphasized Israel’s readiness to retaliate against threats, particularly from Iran, which has long been a focus of Israeli security concerns.
Gallant’s statement came during a conversation with intelligence soldiers from Unit 9900, a specialized Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unit that monitors Middle Eastern activities through visual intelligence.
He praised the soldiers’ vital role in keeping watch over regional developments, noting that their work strengthens Israel’s ability to protect its citizens and respond effectively to threats.
“In my conversation with the soldiers, I emphasized – our attack in Iran will be deadly, precise, and surprising. Those who try to harm the State of Israel will pay a price,” Gallant stated.
His warning underscores Israel’s commitment to maintaining its national security and its proactive stance against hostile actions in the region.
Israel has long viewed Iran’s nuclear program and its support for militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas as existential threats.
Gallant’s remarks align with Israel’s broader defense policy, which includes the use of intelligence and military operations to counter threats posed by Iran’s influence in the Middle East.
