Ophélie Artaud (comments collected by Albane Leprince) / Photo credit: Jalaa MAREY / AFP
The warlord of Lebanese Hezbollah, Nassan Nasrallah, is due to speak this Friday early afternoon on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. A speech which raises fears of his formation entering the war, as explained by David Rigoulet-Roze, researcher associated with Iris and specialist in the Middle East at Europe 1.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas could enter another dimension. The Hebrew State has just announced the total encirclement of Gaza City and the objective remains the total annihilation of Hamas operational centers, assures the Israeli army. While the ground offensive continues in Gaza, and an air offensive took place in South Lebanon to massively strike the positions of Lebanese Hezbollah on Friday evening, a highly anticipated speech is being prepared. Their warlord, Hassan Nasrallah, will come out of silence this Friday afternoon. This is his first speech since the start of the conflict, which could determine Lebanon’s commitment to the conflict.
“Escalatory logic”
The opening of a new front cannot be ruled out, according to David Rigoulet-Roze, researcher associated with Iris and specialist in the Middle East. “There is an escalatory logic which seems to be taking place. What is also worrying is that behind this regional escalatory logic, there is the constitution of blocs, in particular an anti-Western bloc. We actually see a Moscow, Beijing, Tehran axis,” he explains at the microphone of Europe 1.
A risk of widening the conflict
For David Rigoulet-Roze, the risk of the conflict widening is all the more significant since “on several occasions, Hezbollah has expressed the idea that it could not remain idly involved, particularly if the Tsahal massively invested in Gaza with the opening of a second front, or even a third and fourth on the Syrian side or in the West Bank. This would obviously be a major event, a tipping point, with uncontrollable expectations. This is the reason why, “Elsewhere, the Americans have dispatched two carrier groups. It is a way of establishing a direct deterrent against Hezbollah. It is a message obviously mainly sent to Tehran”, concludes the researcher.
The speech by the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah will come during a visit by the head of American diplomacy to Israel. Anthony Blinken hopes to obtain an agreement from the Israelis for the evacuation of foreign nationals from Gaza.