The killing of Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, has escalated tensions between Israel and the militant group, raising concerns about a looming confrontation in the region. His death has triggered intense speculation about Hezbollah's next steps and whether it marks a turning point in the Middle East. 

Veteran war correspondent and political analyst Elijah Magnier spoke to CGTN and believes that Hezbollah is far from defeated and could be preparing for a significant and unexpected retaliation. 

"I think Hezbollah will surprise Israel in the next days," Magnier said.

According to Magnier, the escalation began when Israel targeted key locations within Beirut and eliminated senior commanders, including Nasrallah himself. 

"Israel has violated the rules of the war by bombing Beirut, the capital, in a suburb, and then killing the commanders, including the secretary general. That was a clear violation of the non-declared rule of engagement," he explained. In response, Magnier predicts that "Hezbollah would do exactly the same by retaliating against Israel without any rule."

Hezbollah still holding back its core forces

Despite the assassination of its top leadership, Magnier emphasized that Hezbollah is still holding back its key forces and has yet to engage its most elite units. "First of all, the special forces have not been engaged," he noted, adding that for almost 12 months, Hezbollah's elite troops have remained in strategic positions, largely untouched by Israeli strikes. "They have not been damaged; only commanders that are immediately replaceable have been assassinated."

Beyond its special forces, Hezbollah retains other critical military assets that remain unscathed. "The naval force had not been touched, and the missile force has been hit but only the warehouses that are above the ground," said Magnier. "Anything that is under the ground and the long-range missiles that are on the borders between Syria and Israel have not been destroyed."

He also emphasized that Hezbollah's strategic assets in Syria remain fully operational, posing a serious threat to Israel. "We know that Hezbollah has a great missile capability on the Syrian territory and along the occupied Golan Heights, and these have not been touched yet," Magnier said.

The group's true strength, according to Magnier, has yet to be fully deployed. "Iran doesn't need to step in because any direct intervention will indicate the weakness of Hezbollah. And, I think Hezbollah has not started the war yet," he said.

Despite suffering some setbacks, Magnier believes Hezbollah remains strategically positioned to respond forcefully. "Hezbollah has lost the small battles so far, but it did not lose the war, and Israel did not win the war. It has won a few battles. Therefore, the war is still at the first beginning," he said.

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