Israel declared that it had finished Operation Northern Shield, destroying tunnels leading from Lebanon to Israel on 13 January (see Israel). However, Israel continued to construct a wall along the border of Lebanon which the Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations (UN) filed a complaint about to the UN Security Council, charging that Israel has been constructing parts of it on Lebanese territory. Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, who had been largely silent during Operation Northern Shield, said on 26 January that Hezbollah had been able to enter Israel for years but was not interested in war for the moment. He continued, “Part of our plan in the next war is to enter Galilee, a part of our plan we are capable of, God willing. The important thing is that we have this capability and we have had it for years.” Nasrallah did not say whether the tunnels found by Israel were in fact made by Hezbollah.
The UK released a statement, saying it was adding Hezbollah in its entirety to its list of terrorist organizations. The UK’s home secretary Sajid Javid said, “Hizballah is continuing in its attempts to destabilase the fragile situation in the Middle East—and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party. Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety.” Hezbollah’s military wing was designated a terrorist organization by the UK in 2001. It holds 2 of 30 cabinet positions in Lebanon and 12 seats in the Lebanese parliament.