Whispering can be heard in Beirut. Everyone wants to know more about the Bulgarian investigation in which Hezbollah has been accused of carrying out the July 2012 attack in Burgas that killed five Israeli tourists. Few are those who dare to raise their voice and question, “Is it really Hezbollah?” Even fewer are those who dare to utter, “It’s time that Hezbollah pays the price!”

A few weeks ago, a visit as quiet as a whisper was made by a Bulgarian official to Hezbollah's stronghold of south Beirut. According to a source close to the Islamist group, at a meeting with a member of Hezbollah the Bulgarian allegedly said that “pressure is being exerted on Sofia to indict Hezbollah, but there was no clear evidence.” The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity added, “The accusation was a bit surprising to the group, as they never thought a sovereign state like Bulgaria would bow to pressure by the US and Israel.”

Hezbollah has thus far refrained from commenting openly about the incident, but party officials are said to believe that “this is part of the war on the resistance bloc." One official declared, “We still believe the Europeans know well were their interest lays.”

In a speech delivered today, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah deputy secretary general, avoided direct mention of the Bulgarian affair, but did refer to an alleged Israeli campaign that is being echoed by Lebanese factions. Qassem asserted that the Israeli accusations “were fabricated after they failed to defeat us by war and other confrontations.” An official Hezbollah response is expected next week in a speech Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah plans to deliver in memory of slain military commander Imad Mughniyeh.