Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah meets senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials

Leader of powerful Lebanese armed group has stayed out of the public eye during Israel-Gaza war

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, right, with Palestinian Islamic Jihad secretary general Ziad Al Nakhala, second left, and deputy leader of Hamas, Saleh Al Arouri. EPA

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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has met senior officials from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to discuss how groups in the Iran-led so-called Axis of Resistance can “achieve a real victory for the resistance” and “stop the treacherous and brutal aggression against our oppressed” people in Gaza.

Mr Nasrallah hosted Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Al Nakhala and Hamas deputy chief Saleh Al Arouri at an undisclosed location in Lebanon, Hezbollah said on Wednesday.

They assessed the developments in Operation Al Aqsa Flood, Hamas's series of attacks on Israel from Gaza on October 7.

While senior Hezbollah officials have regularly spoken publicly since October 7, Mr Nasrallah has not yet made one of his typical televised speeches to supporters.

Hezbollah officials insisted he is focused on personally overseeing developments in southern Lebanon, adding that he will speak when the time is right.

The Hezbollah chief last met another leader in person, officially, when Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian visited Beirut on a regional tour nearly two weeks ago.

Hezbollah has repeatedly declared its support for its Palestinian allies and says it remains in close co-ordination and conversation with them.

In response to the attacks of October 7, Israel has pummelled Hamas's stronghold of Gaza and threatened to launch a ground invasion. The bombardment has killed more than 5,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The health ministry in Gaza says more than 5,750 have been killed, mostly civilians, as Israel continues its bombardment.

Mr Nasrallah and the Palestinian militant leaders "agreed to keep co-ordinating and daily following up on developments".

Hezbollah has engaged in its most serious confrontations with Israeli forces in years, with both sides launching daily attacks against each other.

The events of the past few weeks were also discussed by the three leaders.

Israel has warned Hezbollah not to engage further in the conflict. The fears are that if Israel carries out a land invasion of Gaza, Hezbollah – or other members of the Axis of Resistance – will increase their attacks, risking a wider regional war.

The heavily armed militia is much more powerful than Hamas, and last engaged in a full war with Israel in 2006.

While Hezbollah's support base is vocally supportive of it, many in Lebanon do not want the country to be dragged into another debilitating war.

The two Palestinian groups and Hezbollah form part of the Axis of Resistance, an alliance of armed factions and countries opposed to the State of Israel.

Palestinian armed groups have a strong presence in Lebanon and have launched attacks from the south of the country into Israel.

Hezbollah has announced that at least 41 of its fighters have been killed in the past two and a half weeks.