Last week Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in aerial strikes over a southern suburb of Beirut, raising fears of a sharp escalation and expansion of the conflict across the region.

Even after the killing of the Hezbollah chief along with a host of senior commanders, Israel has kept up its bombardment of Lebanon and Beirut. Hezbollah spokespersons have defiantly stated that they are ready for a land invasion from Israel. Meanwhile, the US has committed to additional troop deployments in the region. And yesterday, in a video message addressed directly to the people of Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that Iran will “finally be free” and that moment will come “sooner than people think”.

What are the larger implications of the Nasrallah assassination? Can Hezbollah survive this loss? And what is Israel’s end game in Lebanon?

Guest: Iftikhar Gilani, a senior journalist who has reported for three decades from South Asia and the Middle East and is currently based in Ankara.

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

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