Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the country's northern border with Lebanon on Wednesday and said Israel was prepared for strong action in the north.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months © Mena Today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the country's northern border with Lebanon on Wednesday and said Israel was prepared for strong action in the north.
Israeli towns near the border, many of which have been evacuated, have been a frequent target of rocket and drone launches from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The rockets set off massive wild fires this week, burning swathes of land across northern Israel.
"Whoever thinks that they can harm us and we will sit idly by is making a big mistake. We are prepared for a very strong action in the north. In one way or another we will restore security to the north," Netanyahu said.
Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for the past eight months in parallel with the Gaza war, raising concerns that an even wider conflict could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.
The hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have been their worst since they waged war in 2006, and tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes.
Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch
The body of Hashem Safieddine, who was slated to replace slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and was targeted in an Israeli attack on the Dahieh earlier this month, was found.
Lebanon's Hezbollah movement said on Tuesday there would be no negotiations while fighting continued with Israel and it claimed sole responsibility for a drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.
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