Hezbollah announces new phase in war against Israel after Hamas leader Sinwar’s death

Hezbollah revealed that it has used “precision-guided missiles” against Israel for the first time which Hezbollah refers to as a new phase in the war against Israel.

Israel has been relentlessly striking southern and eastern Lebanon, regions dominated by Hezbollah, since the outbreak of full-scale war on Sept. 23.

In villages along the Lebanese border, intense close-range combat has erupted between the two sides following Israel’s ground invasion last month.

New escalation

Hezbollah “announces a transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy, which will be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days,” the group said in a statement as reported by AFP.

The announcement came after the Israeli military on Thursday said its forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, which is a Hezbollah ally.

No mention of Hamas leader’s death in Hezbollah statement

The statement, however, made no mention of the Hamas chief.

It said “hundreds of fighters … are fully prepared to counter any Israeli ground incursion into southern Lebanese villages,” noting that attacks against Israel have increased in recent days.

It said its rocket strikes continue “to escalate day by day,” with “precision-guided ones … being deployed for the first time”.

Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut air strike On Sept. 27. It has repeatedly called for Hezbollah to be pushed away from the border to ensure its citizens could return to their homes in northern Israel.

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said that the Israeli army was not fully in control of any village in south Lebanon.