Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to restore calm and security to Israel, after a new escalation of tension in the region.
“We will not allow the terrorist Hamas movement to establish its presence in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a speech today, Monday, after about 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel in a bombing that Tel Aviv accused Palestinian groups of standing behind.
In his speech, Netanyahu also announced his reversal of his decision to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after he dismissed him last month due to political differences.
He added that they reconciled their disagreement over Gallant’s public call last month to stop the government’s divisive judicial amendment plan, which Gallant said had become a threat to Israel’s security.
Netanyahu accused the former Yair Lapid government of handing over gas reserves to the Lebanese “Hezbollah” without getting anything in return.
He added, “The previous government signed an agreement with Hezbollah under which it handed over gas reserves to the enemy without getting anything in return.”
He continued, “The previous government pledged to us that the gas agreement with Hezbollah would avert confrontation with the terrorist organization, but the exact opposite happened.”
Netanyahu publicly acknowledged that the Israeli occupation army carried out military operations in Syria.
Netanyahu threatened the government of the Syrian regime, saying that it would “pay a heavy price” if it “continued to allow” the launching of missiles and drones at Israel.
He continued, “In Syria, we acted against Iranian targets and against the Syrian regime’s targets. The Assad regime already knows that the price we have made to pay is only the beginning. If they continue to allow rockets to be fired and drones sent to Israel, the Assad regime will pay a very heavy price.”
Hamas attached
In turn, the spokesman for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Hazem Qassem, said, “Netanyahu’s speech cannot frighten our Palestinian people, who will continue the battle to defend the identity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in the face of the religious war waged by the enemy.”
He added, “Netanyahu’s speech is an attempt to overturn the facts, as the occupation is the basis of all tensions, and it practices terrorism systematically and continuously, and our people are waging a legitimate battle to extract their right to freedom and independence.”
He continued, “Netanyahu’s threats against our Palestinian people, Syria, Lebanon and Iran confirm that the Zionist entity poses a threat to the entire region and its interests.”
