Katz: Hezbollah Has Crossed 'All Red Lines'; We Are Approaching Full-Scale War

In response to the deadly rocket fire from Hezbollah at a children's soccer field in northern Israel that left 11 dead and over 30 injured, Israel Katz, the Foreign Minister, stated that Hezbollah has crossed 'all red lines' with this action. In an interview with the Times of Israel, he emphasized that Hezbollah's attack is not an army against another army but rather an Iranian terrorist organization attacking civilians and children. Katz warned that Israel is 'approaching the moment of full-scale war against Hezbollah and Lebanon.' He promised that Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah would be destroyed in this war, and Lebanon would suffer severe damages. Katz added that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is engaged in an international campaign to 'gain international support and legitimacy for action in Lebanon and directly [pointing] the finger at Iran.' He urged the international community to impose heavy sanctions on Hezbollah before it is too late. Following a meeting to assess Hezbollah's deadly attack with military and intelligence officials, including Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Army, Ronen Bar, head of Shin Bet, and David Barnea, head of Mossad, Yoav Galant, the Israeli Defense Minister, reviewed options for responding to Hezbollah. The Israeli Defense Ministry announced that Galant set the guidelines and issued necessary orders to the defense establishment. Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, reacted to Hezbollah's deadly rocket fire against Israeli civilians, stating that this attack was carried out on the orders of the Iranian government. He described the 'horrific and shocking' attack on Majdal Shams as 'heartbreaking' and noted that no words could comfort the families of the victims in this Druze area in northern Israel. Herzog added that Hezbollah, which is financially and militarily supported by the Islamic Republic, does not distinguish between children and adults, soldiers and civilians, Jews and Muslims, Druze and Christians. The President emphasized that the world should not remain silent in the face of the terrorist attack by Hassan Nasrallah, which was carried out on the orders of the 'Iranian Empire of Evil,' and the Israeli government will firmly defend its citizens and sovereignty. In this context, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, who is still in the United States after speaking in Congress and meeting with American officials, has advanced his return flight from 11 PM to 7:30 PM on Saturday. Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israeli army, also emphasized in a press conference that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack and that all 11 Israeli citizens killed were children and teenagers aged 10 to 20. According to him, the victims were targeted by a Hezbollah rocket while playing soccer. He called this Hezbollah attack a 'serious incident' and added that Israel would respond 'appropriately.' Israeli rescuers are transferring one of the injured from Hezbollah's deadly attack to Majdal Shams in northern Israel, which left 11 dead and over 30 injured. On Saturday, August 6, 1403, Yair Lapid, the leader of the Israeli opposition, expressed condolences to the victims of Hezbollah's deadly attack, stating that the situation in northern Israel cannot continue as it is, and Netanyahu should be in Israel during such times. The Times of Israel reported that Israel's response to Hezbollah's deadly attack would be 'very aggressive.' An Israeli official stated that the tragedy of Majdal Shams could indicate a 'turning point in the war.' This is the deadliest attack by Hezbollah, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, against Israel in recent years. Images and videos shared on social media show a crowd of rescuers and Israeli citizens at the soccer field where the attack occurred. Hezbollah, which had earlier acknowledged firing 100 rockets at northern Israel, claimed after the increase in casualties among Israeli citizens that it had no connection to this deadly attack. The soccer field targeted by Hezbollah's deadly rocket fire is located in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights of Israel. According to Israeli media, most of the victims of this Hezbollah attack are children aged 10 to 20 from the Arabic-speaking 'Druze' minority. The condition of the injured from this Hezbollah attack has been reported as critical. The Israeli army announced that following Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel, especially in the Majdal Shams area, 'the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and the commander of the Northern Command, Major General Uri Gordin... are assessing the situation.' Rescuers, security forces, and Israeli citizens gathered at the children's soccer field in Majdal Shams, which was targeted by Hezbollah's deadly rocket attack. The Jerusalem Post also reported the interception and destruction of two Hezbollah drones by the Israeli army. Hezbollah's rocket attack, the main proxy arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran, against children and civilians in northern Israel follows a deadly Israeli attack on Saturday against militants of this group, resulting in the deaths of four senior Hezbollah members. Just one day after the terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 15 of last year, in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and over 250 others, including women and children, were taken hostage, Hezbollah unilaterally began its missile and drone attacks on residential areas in northern Israel. The Israeli army has also targeted heavy attacks against this proxy group of the Islamic Republic in Lebanon and Syria in response to Hezbollah's cross-border attacks, eliminating nearly 400 members, including many of its senior commanders. Israel has stated that nearly 80,000 citizens living in the northern regions of the country have been displaced due to Hezbollah's attacks. So far, U.S. diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back across the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the common border of Israel and Lebanon based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, have failed. Israeli officials have warned that if a diplomatic solution to end the conflicts at the common border with Lebanon is not found and Hezbollah does not cease its cross-border attacks against Israel by retreating from border areas, they will do whatever is necessary to defend their citizens. The decision-making regarding war with Hezbollah is one of the important reasons for Netanyahu's trip to Washington; explanations from Hassan Hashemian, a commander of the Israeli army, about the country's readiness for a decisive attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Biden emphasized America's unwavering commitment to Israel's security against the threats of the Islamic Republic and its proxy groups. Israeli fighter jets attacked 'two military warehouses' of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.