TEL AVIV - Israel waited anxiously for Friday’s speech by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, his first public utterance since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
Reflecting their nervousness, Israeli generals and politicians in recent weeks issued dire warnings to the Shiite leader against getting involved. "Everyone talks about the intensity of the air force attacks on Gaza," a senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity after Nasrallah's Friday speech. "But the truth is that the force is only operating at 40% of its capabilities, because all eyes are on Nasrallah's north. If the northern arena ignites, Hezbollah will feel the full capability of the air force.”
Hezbollah, he added, should know that Israel’s capabilities have been significantly upgraded since the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
"Anticlimactic"
