Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning today, stating that Israel has not yet delivered its “final word” following preemptive strikes launched early this morning against Lebanon. The strikes were intended to prevent a large-scale attack by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
“Three weeks ago, we neutralized the [Hezbollah] commander, and today we thwarted their aggressive plans,” Netanyahu said during the opening of a cabinet meeting.
According to the Israeli prime minister, Israel’s air defenses intercepted all the drones and rockets that Hezbollah launched in retaliation against Israel.
Netanyahu also warned that Hezbollah and Iran should understand that Israel’s response was “another step towards changing the situation in the north and ensuring the safe return of our citizens to their homes.”
“This is not the end of the story,” he emphasized.
Israel announced that it had prevented a major Hezbollah attack by carrying out multiple strikes on Lebanon. However, the Shiite Lebanese group claimed that it managed to launch hundreds of drones and rockets at Israeli positions in retaliation for the death of one of its military commanders, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb on July 30.
