Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group, says Israel will not initiate a war against Lebanon because its home front is not prepared to withstand its missiles, citing rockets fired in recent months by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

“I am leaning toward the conclusion that Israel is unlikely to carry out a war on Lebanon,” Nasrallah says during a televised speech. “I personally think that it is unlikely they will do so because… its home front is not prepared.

“The events and days have proved the unpreparedness of the Israeli home front,” he continues. “We saw how two missiles were fired by mistake from Gaza and landed in the Tel Aviv surroundings and then another missile was shot off from Gaza and landed north of Tel Aviv. All the Israeli measures were not able to do anything. The Israelis say the home front is not ready.”

“Any theoretical Israeli war needs a ground operation to achieve its desired goal,” Nasrallah adds. “The era in which the air force decides the battle is over. This has become one of the military axioms in the world. If Israel starts a war, it needs a ground operation to achieve its goal for the war. Many reasons make me see this option as unlikely.”

— with Adam Rasgon