Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that if Hezbollah initiates an all-out war against Israel, “it will turn Beirut and southern Lebanon into Gaza City and Khan Yunis.”
Netanyahu made these statements during an assessment meeting of the situation in the Northern Command, in which Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzl Halevy also participated.
The three met with the soldiers, where Netanyahu praised their “tremendous spirit of readiness to fight, complete the mission, and restore security, not only in the south but also in the north.”
A few weeks ago, Gallant threatened Hezbollah against the consequences of escalating the fighting on the border, adding that what Israel is doing in Gaza can be done in Beirut.
Gallant told the soldiers in a video clip broadcast on Israeli television channels last November that “Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into a war that may break out.”
He added, “It (Hezbollah) is making mistakes… and those who will pay the price in the first place are the Lebanese citizens. What we do in Gaza, we can do in Beirut.”
This came after Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah announced that his militants had recently begun using new weapons against Israel from southern Lebanon, in addition to sending reconnaissance marches to areas deep within it.
Gallant threatens Hezbollah: “What we do in Gaza we can do in Beirut.”
On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant warned the Lebanese Hezbollah group against escalating the fighting on the border, adding that what Israel is doing in Gaza can be done in Beirut.
The day after Hamas launched its unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, Hezbollah began bombing Israeli positions from southern Lebanon on a daily basis.
The Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements also carried out infiltration operations and launched several rockets.
Israel responds by targeting Hezbollah’s movements near the border and bombing Lebanese areas along the border strip.
2023-12-07 16:28:26
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