“This is an existential battle… we will not allow the enemy to achieve its goal of eliminating our existence,” he said. Hezbollah’s leadership has denied the battle’s timing was linked to the Iran war, instead saying it lost patience with Israeli attacks. Military expert Hassan Jouni said that for Hezbollah “this is an existential battle… so it will fight until the last breath”. “For Israel, this is the final battle against Hezbollah,” he said, noting the current circumstances, which Israel sees an opportunity to destroy its foe, may not reappear. The group is fighting “an existential battle on two fronts: the Lebanese front and its (Iranian) ally’s political, ideological and strategic front”, he told AFP.

Source: Bangkok Post March 14, 2026 13:36 UTC