A war of words replaced a real war that could have erupted on the border between Lebanon and Israel following Hezbollah's Jan. 28 attack on Israeli soldiers, in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of six of its commanders and an Iranian general.
Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s chief, made it clear in a televised speech that from now on there would be no rules of engagement. He said that he did not fear a new war, yet he did not want a war.