Netanyahu: We Struck Hezbollah with Unimaginable Blows

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated on Sunday that Israel has delivered blows to Hezbollah in recent days that the group could not have imagined. Netanyahu said that just one day after the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, Hezbollah, as 'another terrorist proxy group' of the Iranian government, began launching rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities without any justification, causing the displacement of 60,000 citizens in the country. Regarding the escalation of conflicts in recent days and the severe strikes against Hezbollah, he said, 'If [Hezbollah] did not understand the message [of these attacks], I promise they will understand it.' Netanyahu emphasized that Israel, like any other country, does not accept the bombardment of its cities, stating, 'We will take any action necessary to restore security and return our citizens to their homes.' Hours before Netanyahu's remarks, Hezbollah claimed on its Telegram channel that in an initial response to the explosions of pagers and wireless devices, it fired missiles at the Israeli military industrial complex in the northern city of Haifa. According to the Times of Israel, Hezbollah launched at least 10 missiles toward northern Israeli cities in the Jezreel Valley late on Saturday, marking the deepest missile attack by this Iranian-backed militant group into Israel since the war began in October. Simultaneously, the Israeli Air Force conducted several strikes in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's missile attacks followed severe Israeli military actions against the group's positions in southern Lebanon and the destruction of dozens of launchers prepared for immediate attacks on Israel. As the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli army escalated, new restrictions were imposed on residents of northern Israel, allowing work and educational activities only in locations with suitable shelters nearby, where individuals could reach in time. Outdoor gatherings were limited to a maximum of 30 people, and indoor gatherings to a maximum of 300. The escalation in the conflict came after continued rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on Israel and the explosions of the group's communication devices last Tuesday and Wednesday, which resulted in nearly 40 deaths, mostly among members of this Iranian proxy, and 3,000 others injured. Although these explosions were attributed to Israel, the country adopted a 'neither confirm nor deny' position regarding this matter. On Friday, Israel targeted a gathering place of senior Hezbollah commanders under a residential building in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut, killing several senior commanders of the group, including Ibrahim Aqil, the commander of the Radwan force, and Ahmad Wahbi, a senior military commander of the group. The Israeli army published the names and images of 12 Radwan unit commanders killed in this attack on Saturday. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated over the past year that they will ensure security in northern regions of the country by any means necessary, whether diplomatic or military. Israel is calling for Hezbollah to withdraw from the border areas of Lebanon with Israel. So far, diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back to the other side of the Litani River, 30 kilometers from the shared 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. Hezbollah Lebanon was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the entirety of this group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah Lebanon as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military branches and labeling both branches as terrorists. Axios: American officials hope that Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah will lead to a diplomatic agreement. Channel 12 of Israeli television: Hezbollah's pagers were deliberately produced and exploded. Continuation of attacks on Hezbollah and new restrictions in northern Israel; Gallant: Killing Hezbollah leaders was a personal settlement for me as well. White House reaction to the killing of the commander of Hezbollah's Radwan unit: Justice has been served. Hezbollah confirmed the killing of 16 of its members in Israel's attack on Beirut on Friday. Injured protesters addressed the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon: 'When it's your turn, it will come too.' Ibrahim Aqil, the killed commander of Hezbollah, was wanted for deadly bombings against Americans in Lebanon. User reactions to the explosion of Hezbollah's communication equipment ranged from joy to doubt about its effectiveness. Reuters: Hezbollah distributed 'pagers' among its members hours before the explosion.