BEIRUT

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem vowed Wednesday to confront Israel “to the fullest extent,” saying his group “will defend itself no matter the cost.”

In a televised speech, Qassem called Hezbollah missile launches at Israel “a response to 15 months of Israeli violations, including the killing of (Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali) Khamenei."

“Our choice is to confront the enemy to the fullest extent, and we will not surrender," he vowed.

Qassem said 500 people have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past 15 months.

"As long as the occupation exists, resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right,” he said.

The situation escalated in Lebanon on Monday after Hezbollah targeted a military site in northern Israel with rockets and drones in response to ongoing Israeli airstrikes and Khamenei’s killing.

The Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes in response, killing at least 72 people and injuring nearly 450 others. The military also launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

Israel has repeatedly violated a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, signed in November 2024, carrying out near-daily strikes that have left hundreds dead and wounded.

Israel began its offensive against Lebanon in October 2023 and escalated it into a full-scale war in September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and wounding about 17,000.

The US and Israel have continued a large-scale attack on Iran since Saturday, killing nearly 900 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul