Losses will not cripple Hezbollah amid Israeli strikes, says Khamenei

Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Lebanon's Hezbollah remains steadfast despite suffering significant losses from ongoing Israeli bombardments.

Speaking during a meeting with military personnel on Wednesday, Khamenei acknowledged the toll that the recent conflict has taken on the Shia armed group but asserted that it would not be "brought to its knees."

Khamenei noted, "Some of the effective and valuable forces of Hezbollah were martyred, which undoubtedly caused damage to Hezbollah, but this was not the sort of damage that could bring the group to its knees."

He stressed the organization's resilience, stating, "The organisational strength and human resources of Hezbollah are very strong and will not be critically hit by the killing of a senior commander, even if that is clearly a loss."

His remarks come amid a third consecutive day of Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. The Israeli military has ramped up its operations in the region, reportedly killing at least 558 individuals, marking this period as the deadliest wave of violence in Lebanon since the devastating civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990. The air raids have prompted widespread displacement, with tens of thousands fleeing from southern Lebanon.

The escalation of hostilities follows a series of coordinated attacks that led to the explosion of electronic devices used by Hezbollah across Lebanon and Syria, which analysts have attributed to Israel's cyber warfare tactics.

This incident resulted in the deaths of at least 39 people and injuries to nearly 3,000, marking a perilous turn in the ongoing conflict.

In a show of defiance, Hezbollah retaliated by launching a ballistic missile at Israel’s Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, an unprecedented action that highlights the rising tensions.

As the violence continues to unfold, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Imran Khan reported from Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, stating, "There is no de-escalation. There is no diplomacy. Just Hezbollah and the Israeli army attacking each other."

Khamenei concluded his remarks by reaffirming the belief that "the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance will have the final victory," as both sides brace for an intensifying conflict with no clear resolution in sight.