Grapevine

Hezbollah chief says response to Israeli assassination ‘inevitable’

Hassan Nasrallah says war has entered ‘new phase’ after killing of top commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut air raid.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said the war with Israel has “entered a new phase” as he addressed crowds of supporters who had gathered for the funeral of Fuad Shukr, the group’s senior commander who was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut.

Nasrallah said on Thursday that Hezbollah is considering a “real, studied” response to the attack, rather than a symbolic one, adding that several countries had urged the Lebanese group against retaliating.

Israel has “crossed red lines” and a response is “inevitable”, Nasrallah said, adding that a regional escalation will depend upon Israel’s response to the upcoming reprisal.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was readying itself for a retaliatory attack by Iran and its allies.