By Luis De Jesus
Sep 22, 2024, 11:55 PM EDT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toughened his stance Sunday against the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, warning that if it has not yet understood Israel’s actions following the recent escalation of attacks, it will soon do so.
“In recent days, we have hit Hezbollah in unexpected ways,” he said in a video, warning that the group would get the message if it hadn’t already.
The statements came after Hezbollah launched around 150 projectiles towards Israeli territory. Although most were intercepted, some managed to hit the Haifa district, 60 kilometers from the border, causing injuries and damage, according to the Israeli military.
Hezbollah claimed the attacks as an “initial response” to the explosions of thousands of communication devices in its ranks, attributed to Israel, which left more than 30 fighters dead, according to the Efe news agency.
According to the Lebanese group, its projectiles targeted an arms factory and an Israeli military base.
In response, Israel heavily shelled several villages in southern Lebanon, killing at least three people.
Hezbollah experienced one of the most difficult weeks
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described last week as one of the most difficult in Hezbollah’s history, highlighting the army’s action in a Beirut suburb that resulted in the deaths of senior Hezbollah leaders, including commander Ibrahim Aqil.
Gallant praised Friday’s bombings, which left at least 45 people dead in a residential building. The Lebanese movement confirmed the deaths of several of its leaders in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Education Ministry has ordered the suspension of classes in the north of the country due to the possibility of new attacks by Hezbollah, a measure that will continue while the situation is assessed by the Army’s Home Front Command.
On the Lebanese side, Naim Qassem, deputy secretary general of Hezbollah, warned that his group has entered a “new phase of reckoning” with Israel and said that the movement has emerged stronger, despite the casualties suffered.
Faced with this escalation, the international community is expressing its concern about the possibility of a regional war, in a context where diplomatic options seem to be diminishing.
Continue reading:
• UN fears “possibility of turning Lebanon into another Gaza”
• Hezbollah chief acknowledges “hard blow” and promises “just punishment” against Israel
• Attacks between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon leave at least three dead