Nasrallah Promises Surprises for Israel Amid Rising Tensions

The leader of the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, promised "surprises" for Israel after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had "surprising plans" to confront the pro-Iranian group.

"It is us who should talk about surprises. He (Netanyahu) should expect surprises from us," Nasrallah said in a televised speech.

Hezbollah has launched daily attacks on Israel since the Gaza war began on October 7 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas. The Israeli army has retaliated with strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah officials.

"We have eliminated hundreds of Hezbollah agents," Netanyahu said, adding Israel has "detailed, major, even surprising plans" for this northern front.

"I want to tell Netanyahu and the enemy government that we have studied and weighed all eventualities and scenarios you might resort to," Nasrallah added.

He claimed Hamas and other Iranian allies in the region have instead "surprised" Israel, "which has the strongest army and intelligence services in the region."

"Hamas surprised you" with attacks on October 7, and Hezbollah "surprised you by opening" the Lebanese front the next day, he said, listing other "surprises" by Yemen's rebels, Iraq, and Iran after Israel struck its Damascus consulate.

Nasrallah, speaking at a ceremony honoring Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's comrades killed in a helicopter crash, repeated that Hezbollah opened its front "to support Gaza."

"We wish the war would stop at any time," he said. "But if Netanyahu is determined for war, he will lead his country to catastrophe."

On April 1, a strike attributed to Israel hit Iran's consulate in Damascus, killing seven Iranian troops. On April 13, Tehran retaliated with an unprecedented attack on Israel.

Hezbollah has intensified attacks in recent days on military positions in northern Israel, using drones and new weapons.