Israeli President Herzog: Hezbollah Will Continue Attacking Israel Because Hamas Keeps Blocking Hostage Deals [VIDEO]

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday asserted that Hezbollah will not cease its assaults on Israel because Hamas is obstructing a potential hostage deal. Speaking to CNBC, Herzog explained that ongoing negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas have been repeatedly rejected by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, resulting in Hezbollah continuing its attacks.

“[Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah decided that he wants to keep on going in the war because we are trying to negotiate a hostage deal, and [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, in the dungeons of Gaza, says no and again, no and again, no,” Herzog told CNBC.

Herzog stressed that resolving the conflict requires not only securing the return of hostages but also neutralizing the threat posed by Hezbollah from Israel’s northern border. “First and foremost, we have to remove the threat from Israel’s northern border, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said, adding, “We will do whatever it takes to bring our citizens back home and enable calm in our cities.”

He also highlighted the growing danger posed by Iran’s regional influence. “All of Iran’s proxies are trying to close in on Israel from all sides of our borders. That’s the real situation now,” Herzog stated, calling Hezbollah a “terrorist army which basically hijacked a nation called Lebanon.”

Herzog also emphasized that Israel’s military operations adhere to international humanitarian law, despite Hezbollah’s tactics of hiding weapons in civilian spaces. “We alert, we give ample warning, according to the rules of international law, but people have missiles in their kitchens, in their living rooms, in their storage rooms, in their mosques, in their shops.”

In response to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s comments that Hezbollah cannot stand alone against Israel, Herzog remarked that Iran’s actions in the region are contributing to instability. “If the president of Iran really wants to lead to a different direction, then these proxies must be eliminated, must be removed,” he said.