Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leaders Meet Amid Rising Tensions

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In an attempt to strategize their next moves during a critical phase, the leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad convened in Beirut. Their primary focus was to explore ways to secure a considerable triumph for their resistance in Gaza and Palestine, according to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. This gathering happens in the backdrop of escalating fears that the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel could broaden into a larger regional dispute.

Expected Ground Invasion of Gaza by Israel

Israel is anticipated to conduct a ground invasion of Gaza as a part of its response to Hamas’s deadly incursion on 7 October. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, military spokesman, has urged the world to support Israel and recognize the necessity of eliminating Hamas to liberate the people of Gaza. Moreover, he cautioned any militant group considering taking advantage of the conflict by attacking Israel on another front to reconsider their actions seriously.

The Meeting’s Tone and Implications

The meeting in Beirut involved Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, and Ziad al-Nakhleh, the leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, along with other Iran-backed militants. They discussed strategies to halt Israel’s “aggression against our oppressed and steadfast people in Gaza and the West Bank,” as reported on Hezbollah-run and Lebanese state media.

Nasrallah has not yet made public statements on the Gaza war and the clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border. However, top officials from Hezbollah have warned Israel against its planned ground invasion into the besieged territory.

The Northern Front and Israel’s Concerns

Lt Col Lerner’s comments following the deaths of eight Syrian military personnel in an Israeli airstrike in southwest Syria, suggest that Israel perceives its entire northern border with Lebanon and Syrian territory as “one large front”. Lerner indicates that Hezbollah has been worsening the situation on the northern front with Lebanon, which might result in increased hostility towards Israel from Syria to Lebanon.