(CNN) – The Israeli army confirmed, on Thursday, that its country would “respond with actions, not words,” to any escalation by the Lebanese Hezbollah on the northern border.
The Israeli army had exchanged fire with Hezbollah fighters over the past few weeks, and the army said on Thursday that it had struck several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to shooting towards Israel.
Hezbollah issued a statement on Thursday in which it said it had “bombed an Israeli military barracks in the Shebaa Farms area with two drones,” claiming that they had carried out “very direct strikes.”
Shebaa Farms is a disputed area along the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is expected to deliver a speech regarding the war in Gaza on Friday.
In response to a question about the possibility of escalation in light of Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari confirmed that his country “will respond with action,” indicating that they are “fully prepared.”
It is not clear what Nasrallah might announce in Friday’s speech, but Hezbollah-owned media has been supporting Hamas since its attack on Israel on October 7.
Observers will analyze the speech for signs that the conflict is entering a new phase.
In anticipation of the speech, White House spokesman John Kirby said Thursday: “Our message to him or anyone else thinking about expanding this conflict: You shouldn’t do it.”
Hezbollah is considered a regional force that could turn the war between Israel and Hamas into a regional conflict. It possesses a more advanced arsenal than Hamas, and its increasing participation in the war may lead to a tightening noose on Iran’s paramilitary partners in the region. Iraq and Yemen.
2023-11-02 22:01:42
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