Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that Israel will continue its military strikes against Hezbollah, following a series of intense and lethal strikes across Lebanon, in which a nephew and close aide of Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem were reportedly killed.
Will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary:ย Netanyahu
Netanyahu said Israeli forces are “continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination.”ย “Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians – we will strike them,” he asserted, linking the military action directly to the protection of the public.
The remarks come as Israel intensifies its campaign to degrade the group’s capabilities, with Netanyahu underscoring the motivation behind the ongoing air strikes.
The Prime Minister also made it clear that the scope of the operation would not be geographically restricted, asserting that Israel “will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary,” indicating that strikes could remain wide-ranging. Netanyahu added that the broader objective is to restore security in northern Israel and enable displaced residents to return to their homes, stressing that operations will continue until that goal is achieved.
Ceasefire at risk
However, Israelโs continued military operations in Lebanon have put the fragile ceasefire under strain, with Iran accusing the US-Israel side of violating the agreement. In response, Tehran has warned it may withdraw from the upcoming negotiations scheduled in Islamabad this weekend.
Iranโs Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is set to lead the country’s delegation for the talks in Pakistan, alleged that Israel has breached three key provisions of the “10-point proposal” that formed the basis of the temporary ceasefire and was intended to pave the way for further negotiations.
The three clauses that Ghalibaf accused the US and Israel of breaching include the violation of the ceasefire in Lebanon, the violation of Iranian airspace, and the denial of Iran’s right to enrich uranium. “The deep historical distrust we hold toward the United States stems from its repeated violations of all forms of commitments, a pattern that has regrettably been repeated once again,” Ghalibaf said in a statement.
On the other hand, Israeli PM Netanyahu has insisted that the ceasefire in Lebanon was not included in the temporary agreement. “I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran not include Hezbollah. And we continue to strike them forcefully,” Netanyahu stated.
He further claimed that Israel dealt Hezbollah its greatest blow since the pager incidents, attacking “100 targets in 10 minutes, in places that Hezbollah was certain were immune.”
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