Arouri Assassinated, Hezbollah Hesitates

Hezbollah, Lebanon’s dominant terrorist group, has not followed through on Wednesday’s vow to respond to Israel’s assassination of Hamas second-in-command Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, Lebanon. This indicates Hezbollah fears all-out war with Israel.

Following Arouri’s death, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called Israel’s strike “a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent.”

But so far, the only thing Hezbollah has done is withdraw its troops 2 to 3 kilometers from the Israeli border. Israel still expects Hezbollah to strike, but it doesn’t anticipate anything more than a limited attack on a military target.

Lebanon’s economy is weak, and its populace would not easily forgive Hezbollah if it worsened finances via full-out war with Israel.

Enter Germany: Following Hezbollah’s threats of a “harsh response,” Germany warned its citizens to evacuate Lebanon “as quickly as possible.” Most consider this to be a simple precaution; Germany was not the only country to issue such a warning.

But previous threats to Hezbollah suggest that this order may have been an indirect warning against an attack on Israel.

On Oct. 12, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “Hezbollah must not intervene in the conflict.” Five days later, he said, “I expressly warn Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in the conflict.”

German security expert Roderich Kiesewetter claimed Germany would “send [its] own soldiers if necessary.”

The Trumpet said: Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has speculated that Hezbollah does fear war with Israel, but not because of the economic turmoil it could cause Lebanon. He believes Hezbollah could be holding back because it fears Germany.

This view is based on Bible prophecy, which foretold thousands of years ago that Germany would play a large role in end-time Middle East relations, specifically involving Lebanon. It predicts that Lebanon will soon be part of a Middle Eastern alliance led by Germany. This alliance will play a major role in the largest conflict in Middle Eastern history.

Learn more: Read “As You Watch Gaza—Watch Germany.”