Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has reportedly conveyed his appreciation to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for the group’s unwavering support during the ongoing conflict with Israel.

For nearly a year, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been engaging in attacks on Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border, a conflict that has been unfolding alongside the Gaza war.

The letter, published by the pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen, is the first reported communication between the two terror chiefs since Sinwar became Hamas leader in August.

Sinwar’s letter underscores the group’s determination to continue their struggle until “the occupation is defeated and swept away from our land, and our independent state with full sovereignty is established with Jerusalem as its capital.”

In his message his vowed the “blessed convoys of martyrs will increase in strength and power in confronting the Nazi Zionist occupation.”

Sinwar’s letter comes in the wake of the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the former leader of Hamas, who was killed in Tehran in July.

The assassination, widely attributed to Israel, has intensified the resolve of Hamas and its allies. Sinwar thanked Nasrallah for his condolences and emphasised the importance of their continued cooperation.

He reiterated Hamas’s commitment to fighting the “Zionist project” alongside the Iranian-led axis of resistance.

Sinwar has not appeared in public since the October 7 attacks, and is widely thought to be running the war from tunnels beneath Gaza.

Over the last year Israel has killed approximately 500 Hezbollah fighters, including their top military commander, Fuad Shukr. This toll surpasses Hezbollah’s losses in the 2006 war with Israel.

The ongoing hostilities along the Lebanese-Israeli border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. On Tuesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israeli forces were close to completing their mission in Gaza and will soon shift their focus to the Lebanon border.

Israeli leaders have revealed they would prefer to resolve the conflict through an agreement that would push Hezbollah away from the border. However, Hezbollah has declared that it will continue fighting as long as the Gaza war persists.