Israeli forces and Hezbollah exchanged fire across the Lebanese border on Thursday, drawing a warning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If Hezbollah decides to open an all-out war, then with its own hands it will turn Beirut and southern Lebanon into Gaza and Khan Yunis,” Netanyahu said.
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Israeli warplanes carried out strikes in Lebanon after a 60-year-old man was killed by a Hezbollah-launched anti-tank missile that landed in a northern border town. The IDF “also returned fire to several other locations in southern Lebanon where strikes at Israel originated from earlier this afternoon,” according to the Times of Israel.
Netanyahu delivered the warning during a visit to the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces’ northern command, which oversees units that have traded fire with Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon in the weeks since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7. He praised military reservists’ “great spirit in their readiness for battle.”
His threat referred to the widespread destruction that Israel’s military has unleashed in the northern Gaza Strip in retaliation to the attack by Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. Israel has now turned its focus to the south of Gaza, with troops reportedly entering Khan Yunis.
Netanyahu spoke at length in his visit to the IDF command center.
“Tonight you light a Hanukkah candle. In the days of battle, this candle nevertheless spreads light, also of mourning for our heroic sons and daughters who fell, for the abductees we have not yet returned and we will return them, for the wounded who are suffering, and for the citizens who also fell in heroic battles,” expressed Netanyahu, addressing the sacrifice made by those defending the nation.
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He highlighted the potential consequences, illustrating that any aggression by Hezbollah could result in severe repercussions, transforming areas like Beirut and South Lebanon into zones reminiscent of the conflict-ridden territories of Gaza and Khan Yunis.
“We are determined to achieve victory, and with your assistance, we will,” emphasized Netanyahu, reaffirming Israel’s readiness to defend itself against any potential threat.
Hezbollah’s game of daring Israel to widen the war by attacking its positions in Lebanon may very well blow up in its face. The terrorists aren’t just going to stop fighting when Hamas waves the white flag. Israel is almost certainly going to carry out a sustained bombing campaign against Hezbollah once the threat from Hamas is eliminated.
Even before Hamas is defeated, the possibility that Israel will look to severely damage Hezbollah is growing. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted at possible military action to drive Hezbollah beyond the Litani River, effectively creating a buffer zone for northern communities in Israel.
Hezbollah should be careful when it plays with fire.