Hamas persuades Hezbollah to join war against Israel – Ukrainian Ambassador to Lebanon

Ihor Ostash, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Lebanon for 2016-2022, said this on Espreso TV. 

The Iranian Foreign Minister is currently in Lebanon, meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, the diplomat said.

"Part of the Hamas leadership is in Beirut, and this is a very important factor. Hamas is trying to convince Hezbollah to join the war against Israel. There is a possibility of expanding the front around Israel by including groups in Iran's orbit. We are talking about Syria and Lebanon," Ostash said.

However, one should not confuse Lebanon's position with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. After all, Lebanon, as a state, is doing everything possible to stay out of the conflict.

"Lebanon is facing a very serious economic crisis. Lebanon does not want a repeat of what happened in 2006, when, after Hezbollah shelled Israel, Israel entered Lebanon to a depth of more than 20 km. Then a very large part of Lebanon's infrastructure was destroyed. That is why the Lebanese government is now doing everything possible to prevent escalation and Hezbollah's entry into this war," the diplomat explained.

According to him, everything can be resolved within a day.

"We are practically on the verge of a possible and very serious war. Everything can be decided within a day. We know that this talk about evacuating citizens is planned for one day, and then anything is possible. It is unrealistic to evacuate about a million people and a large number of international organizations that are now in the Gaza Strip. That is why the situation is very alarming and we hope that common sense will prevail here," summarized Ihor Ostash.

Events in Israel: latest updates

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023, the Palestinian armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a massive air and land attack on the state of Israel in several places. The head of the Hamas military wing, Mohammed Deif, said that his militants had launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. According to him, these actions are intended to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The Palestinians launched 2,000 to 3,000 missiles at Israel and simultaneously seized 7 communities in the south.

In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the mobilization of reservists and the launch of the Iron Swords counterterrorism operation. For the first time in 50 years, the government introduced martial law in the country. 

The IDF actively used aviation to strike Palestinian command posts. It has also begun clearing Hamas-occupied communities.

In addition, there is a great threat that the Shiite Hezbollah could attack Israel from the north, as its main partner and supplier, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), has called on jihadists to "liberate Jerusalem."

On the morning of October 8, the Saudi television channel Al Arabiya published the losses of both Palestinians and Israelis during the first day of the renewed military conflict. According to the channel, Israel lost 300 people killed and at least 1,600 wounded. The number of casualties from the Palestinian-populated Gaza Strip is 232 killed and 1,627 wounded. 

On October 8, Israeli troops claimed that Lebanon had attacked their territory, so the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked in response. In particular, Israeli aviation struck a complex belonging to the head of Hamas' intelligence.

Militants of the Lebanese military-political organization Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions on the border with the disputed Golan Heights and supported Hamas in its operation against Israel.

Due to the situation in the Middle East, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting. However, no action or decisions were taken after it. At the same time, the UK government stated that it would support Israel in its fight against terrorists and was ready to provide it with all necessary assistance.

On the afternoon of October 9, the Israeli army regained control of all areas on the border with the Gaza Strip. At this, it is possible that there are still Hamas militants on Israeli territory.

At night and during the day on the same day, the Israeli armed forces attacked the Gaza Strip. The main targets were command posts, homes of commanders, militants and ordinary soldiers of the Hamas terrorist organization. The Israeli Ministry of Defense ordered the military to put the Gaza Strip under blockade.

The leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy issued a joint statement expressing united support for Israel and condemning Hamas' actions.

As of the morning of October 11, the death toll in Israel has risen to 1,200, and the IDF has hit more than 200 targets in Gaza over the past day.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský was the first foreign statesman to personally arrive in Tel Aviv after Hamas's attack on Israel to evacuate 34 citizens of his country by plane.\On October 12, media reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would arrive in Israel to personally assess the situation in the country.

On Thursday, October 12, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasizes the need for a humanitarian corridor to the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages.