Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that any possible escalation by Lebanese Iran-backed militia Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border may result in the “destruction” of Lebanon.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah © Mena Today
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that any possible escalation by Lebanese Iran-backed militia Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border may result in the “destruction” of Lebanon.
Netanyahu said the Israeli army was being proactive in fighting the Iran-backed terror group and had adopted a policy of “strong deterrence in the north” against Hezbollah, according to the Times of Israel.
“We are acting in the north all the time against all efforts by Hezbollah to operate against us. We are eliminating terror cells, pushing them away from the border, destroying munitions. We will continue with strong deterrence in the north, and total victory in the south,” he said.
“It should be clear, we are committed to restoring security to the south and the north. If Hezbollah makes a mistake and enters into a full-out war it will destroy Lebanon with its own hands,” Netanyahu warned.
Hezbollah, a long-time ally of Palestinian militant group Hamas, has been escalating its rhetoric against Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7. The Lebanese militia has also been launching cross-border attacks against Israeli targets to which Israel would return fire.
Recently, Israel’s forces and Hezbollah’s members have been exchanging heavy fire across the Israel-Lebanon border. Both sides claimed to have struck targets during the attacks which covered several areas of the border.
A Lebanese official denied on Thursday a Reuters report that Beirut had agreed with Israel to a shortlist of countries that could send troops to Lebanon to verify the disarmament of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and said it was following up on the issue with Washington.
Israel won't withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, the defence minister said on Thursday, qualifying remarks he made a day earlier that had suggested Israeli forces would occupy the territory indefinitely and drew U.S. criticism.
Israeli troops clashed with Jewish settlers on Wednesday while trying to disperse them from a West Bank outpost they set up directly in front of Palestinian homes, and later withdrew from the area after failing to clear the settlers, witnesses said.
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