We are waiting... Will he declare all-out war?

We are waiting... Will he declare all-out war?

However, Israel has threatened "unthinkable" attacks if the group becomes fully involved in the war.

The people of Beirut have been through a lot with an almost endless list of crises that have hit their city. Still, the past few weeks have brought a new sense of unease to this coastal community of two and a half million people.

"Either nothing will happen - or we'll all go up there to be with God," said one frightened resident, pointing to the sky, as she spoke of a long-awaited speech by Muslim cleric Hassan Nasrallah.

An impassioned and fiery speaker, Nasrallah is the leader of the Shiite political and military faction Hezbollah and is due to make his first public statement since the Hamas attack on October 7, nearly a month after Israel began bombing Gaza. The speech is important because the general secretary of Hezbollah is considered by many to be the most powerful person in Lebanon with as many as 100,000 fighters at his disposal.

It is also important because his address may help us understand whether Hezbollah is likely to open a second front on Israel's northern border and turn the brutal conflict centered in and around Gaza into an unpredictable regional war.

Key figure of the "axis of resistance"

Hassan Nasrallah was born in 1960 in East Beirut, where he was described as a devout and motivated student of Islam. He joined Hezbollah in 1982 after the Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon.

Rising through the organization, he replaced Hezbollah leader Abbas al-Mousavi in 1992 after he – and members of his family – were killed in an Israeli airstrike. In a series of interviews, Nasrallah has repeatedly refused to recognize the state of Israel, stating that he considers its existence illegal and unjust.

He has made contradictory comments about whether he would accept a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, but is seen as a key figure in the so-called "axis of resistance" - a coalition of anti-Israel and anti-Western groups backed by Iran. Perhaps most importantly, the 63-year-old has proven to be a capable military leader. In the month-long war in 2006, the Israel Defense Forces were surprised by the quality of Hezbollah's personnel and weapons as they used so-called "swarming" tactics to eliminate Israeli positions.

With financial support from Iran, Hezbollah has transformed from a guerrilla unit into something resembling a conventional army, with drones and rockets capable of hitting all parts of Israel, it claims.

Israel threatened: It will face unimaginable counterattacks

However, the relative strength of Hezbollah's military brigades does not mean that Nasrallah is ready to enter into an all-out war with Israel.

Most importantly, he knows the Israelis will fight back - and hard. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Hezbollah that it will face counterstrikes of "unimaginable" proportions that will wreak havoc in Lebanon. Americans are also key here.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said they will be "paying close attention" to Nasrallah's speech.