Hezbollah announced yesterday that its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah will be making an address on Al Manar TV at (1 pm EST) in response to Israel's military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Various sources have reported that air strikes have so far led to over 200 deaths, with Hamas security and police forces being the primary targets.
Nasrallah's address comes shortly after a speech on the Gaza embargo was delivered by the leader earlier this month, in which he called for “the people of our Islamic and Arab Ummah to broaden their participation in actions of solidarity in dismantling the siege of Gaza”. The leader will likely make similar calls for Arab solidarity and support for Gazans in response to this latest wave of attacks. However, any prolonged Israeli military campaign in Gaza might lead one to ask if Hezbollah will also demonstrate a physical show of support. Has its outspoken support for Hamas and condemnation of perceived Arab complacency obligated it to take military action in such a case?
Meanwhile, attention should also be placed upon how branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in Jordan, organizations that share a pedigree with Hamas, will attempt to pressure their respective regimes (who coincidentally have peace treaties with Israel) to respond. These groups have already played a role in organizing demonstrations in response to the situation. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's website has announced that one will be taking place Tuesday December 29th outside the press union in Cairo.
Overall, these sub-state entities may play a role in how developments in Gaza play out regionally.
