A Hezbollah and Hamas Meeting

Earlier today, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah met with a Hamas delegation led by political bureau member Mohammad Naser. According to Roee Nahmias of Yediot Ahronoth:

The parties are believed to have discussed, among other things, the prisoner exchange deal which will lead to Gilad Shalit's release. A statement released by Hezbollah following the meeting said it focused on "international and regional affairs, in light of our frustration with the American administration and its aggressive policies in Arab and Islamic matters, and especially given its outrageous inclination to support Israel's policies against the Palestinian people and their rights."

Additionally, Hamas dived into Lebanese internal politics and expressed its support for a parliamentary bill officially allowing Hezbollah to maintain its cache of arms. So too did the Lebanese cabinet. 

While Hezbollah and Hamas have different motivations and constituencies, they also share a similar support network primarily involving Syria and Iran. In a multitude of ways, coordination and cooperation between Hezbollah and Hamas is an ongoing concern for both the US and Israel. The potential for synchronized violence on the northern and southern fronts of Israel, not too mention Hezbollah’s international reach, are front and center in this regard.