'Stupidest mistake': Hezbollah leader warns Israel against Lebanon attack

Hezbollah's leader has warned Israel that any attack on Lebanon would be the "stupidest mistake" as the fighting in Gaza threatens to spill over in the Middle East.

Hassan Nasrallah was speaking publicly for the first time since fighters belonging to proscribed terror group Hamas - an ally of Hezbollah - killed 1,400 people in southern Israel on October 7.

It comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Issac Herzog.

Mr Netanyahu has ruled out any chance of a ceasefire in Gaza without the return of more than 200 hostages, which Hamas have taken into the territory. He vowed on Friday that Israel will push on with "all of its power".

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Supporters of Hezbollah raise their fists as the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, delivers a speech via video link.Credit: AP

Speaking via video link from an undisclosed location, Nasrallah praised the Hamas attack, saying: "This great, large-scale operation was purely the result of Palestinian planning and implementation."

He blamed the United States for the Israel-Gaza crisis and claimed that the Hamas attack was "proof that Israel is weaker than a spider's web".

Celebratory gunshots rang out over Lebanon's capital, Beirut, as thousands packed into a square to watch Nasrallah's speech.

In recent weeks, Hezbollah, which itself is a proscribed terror group in the UK, has been engaging in skirmishes with Israeli forces along the latter's northern border with Lebanon.

Hezbollah fighters raise their group's flag and shout slogans.Credit: AP

The group, like Hamas, is backed by Iran and is the largest political and military force in Lebanon.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Blinken held talks with Israeli leaders, calling for a humanitarian pause in Gaza.

He also used the visit to discuss efforts to get aid into the territory and prevent fighting from spilling over regionally.

The US has previously pledged unwavering support for Israel, while Mr Blinken reiterated American backing "for Israel's right to defend itself" before flying to Tel Aviv.

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It comes as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain in Gaza City - many of whom are sheltering in United Nations (UN) facilities - after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had completely surrounded the city.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 9,200 Palestinians have died since fighting broke out in October - including more than 3,800 children.

In recent days, several hundred injured Palestinians and foreign passport holders have been able to arrive in Egypt from Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

Nearly 100 British nationals were expected to use the crossing on Friday, with Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf confirming his in-laws were among those allowed to cross into Egypt from Gaza.

The latest list published by the Palestinian Border Authority included 92 people described as British citizens, out of a total of 127 people named under the UK section of the list.