Here are the main takeaways from Hassan Nasrallah's speech earlier today:
On the preparation of Hamas's operation "Al-Aqsa Flood"
• Nasrallah said that, "this operation is the result of a 100% Palestinian decision."
• He added that some say the operation served Iran's objectives in the region or nuclear negotiations, but that is nothing but lies. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is entirely Palestinian, for Palestine, its cause, its people, and is not related to any regional or international issue.
• He said that all civilians [in Israel] allegedly killed by Hamas died under the bullets of the Israeli army, which was behaving in a crazy manner.
On the United States
• Nasrallah said that the United States is entirely responsible for the war in Gaza; Israel is merely a tool to execute it.
• To the Americans, he said, 'Threats against us are pointless. Your naval forces in the Mediterranean do not frighten us and have never frightened us. These ships you threaten us with, we have prepared a response to them."
• He added that those who defeated them [the Americans] in the early 1980s are still here, with their sons and grandsons.
• He concluded that the US can stop the war against Gaza.
On the impact of the war in Gaza
• Nasrallah said that what is happening in Gaza is unlike any other war. This war is not an ordinary incident or an ordinary battle. It is a decisive battle. He said that "what happened before will be unlike what happens after."
• He added that the first goal is the cessation of hostilities and the war against Gaza. The second is the victory of the Islamic resistance in Gaza, particularly Hamas.
On the resistance front
Nasrallah praised the Islamic resistance in Iraq, which has begun to assume its responsibilities and is ready to enter a new stage. He said the brothers in Yemen have publicly and officially, despite American and Western threats, taken a series of initiatives and fired missiles and drones. Even if they were shot down, these devices can reach Eilat, southern Palestine, and Israeli military bases.
On the Lebanese front
• Nasrallah said that what is happening on the [Lebanese] front is very important. He stated that, for those who ask Hezbollah to enter an open war, what is happening on the border may seem moderate. But this is not the case, according to Nasrallah.
• He said to Israel that it will be making the worst mistake if it attempts an offensive against Lebanon.
• According to Nasrallah, escalation on the [Lebanese] front depends on two things: The evolution of the situation in Gaza, and the behavior of the Zionist enemy towards Lebanon.
• Nasrallah concluded, "I say this with full transparency and constructive ambiguity: All options on our front are open and under consideration, and we may resort to them at any time ... We are a support front."