Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad Discuss How To Achieve 'Victory'

Hezbollah's leader met top counterparts from the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad to discuss what their alliance must do to "achieve a real victory for the resistance."

Part of Iran's regional network of proxy groups, the heavily armed Hezbollah has had daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along the Israeli-Lebanese frontier since war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7. However, Hezbollah has so far not opened a northern front against Israel, despite a heavy bombing campaign in Gaza against Hamas.

The meeting involved Hezbollah's Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala, Hezbollah said in a statement. It did not say when the meeting took place.

"An assessment was made of the international positions being taken and what the parties of the Axis of Resistance must do ... to realize a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestinian and to halt the brutal aggression," Hezbollah said.

"There was agreement on continuing the coordination."

The United States, which has stationed two naval strike groups near Israeli and Lebanese waters, has warned Iran and Hezbollah not to expand the conflict.

Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that two more of its fighters had been killed, increasing the death toll in its ranks to 40 fighters since the start of the conflict.