After Israel’s successful preemptive strike this morning (Sunday), Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered his first speech at 6:00 PM this evening. In his address, he claimed that the target, which according to the IDF was not hit at all, was the Glilot complex, where Unit 8200’s base is located, allegedly “110 km from Lebanon.” Unit 8200 is the central collection unit of the Intelligence Corps.
At the beginning of his speech, Nasrallah stated that the terrorist organization had been ready to launch the attack right after the funeral of Fuad Shukr. He reiterated that the delay was part of the response, but this time he added an additional reason for the delayed reaction—the need to consult on whether to respond together with the entire Iranian resistance axis or alone. He justified the decision to proceed with the attack by stating that they waited to see if the negotiations would lead to a ceasefire, as “our goal on the front and our sacrifice is to stop the war in Gaza.” He added another argument, stating that “rushing to respond at the height of American and Israeli readiness could have been a failure.”
“It was decided that we would carry out our operation alone for reasons that will become clear over time, and that each party in the axis would decide when and how to respond,” Nasrallah explained. He added, “We decided that the target would be deep inside Israel—close to Tel Aviv. The target was beyond Haifa, Glilot.” He noted that Hezbollah wanted the target to be military and symbolically connected to the elimination of Fuad Shukr.
Nasrallah also mentioned that the attack included rocket fire towards bases in the north to “allow the drones to cross.”
This evening, IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, stated during a situation assessment at the Kirya, “This morning, we thwarted a broad rocket attack by Hezbollah towards Israel’s rear. We are very determined and will continue to do everything to protect the citizens of Israel everywhere. We are fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, continuing to systematically strike them. Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has lost many significant assets and hundreds of operatives. We are very determined to change the security reality in the north, and we will continue to do so to ensure the residents of the north can return to their homes safely.”
Earlier, a Hezbollah official told Reuters that the organization’s retaliation was delayed due to “political considerations”—with the primary reasons being the negotiations over a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. The official added that Hezbollah acted to ensure that the response to Shukr’s elimination would not ignite a full-scale war.
