Following a drone strike on a military base in Israel on Sunday, October 13, 2024, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to strike Hezbollah.
He said while visiting the military base that retaliation would extend to targets in Beirut.
“We will continue to mercilessly strike Hezbollah in all parts of Lebanon – including Beirut. All this according to operational considerations. We have proven it recently and we will continue to prove it in the days to come.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
On Sunday, Hezbollah carried out its deadliest attack against Israel since the latest escalation in fighting began, sending a “swarm” of drones to a military base in Binyamina in northern Israel, killing at least four soldiers and leaving 61 wounded.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also visited the site of the Hezbollah attack.
Gallant briefed his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin on the deadly Hezbollah drone attack on a military base.
His office disclosed that in his talk with the Pentagon chief, Gallant “highlighted the severity of the attack and the forceful response that would be taken against Hezbollah.”
He also “reiterated the measures” taken by the military to coordinate with peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon and to avoid harming them, after mounting criticism of Israel for repeatedly firing on UN soldiers.
Gallant’s office added that he expressed his appreciation to Austin and the US administration for deciding to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel “in the coming days.”
The United States embassy in Lebanon said that its citizens are strongly encouraged to leave the country “now” during intensified Israeli attacks.
It said in a statement that additional flights the embassy organised for US citizens travelling out of Beirut won’t continue indefinitely.
Meanwhile, at least 18 people have been killed in an Israeli air attack on northern Lebanon.
The raid hit a residential building in the Christian-majority village of Aitou in the region of Zgharta.
The strike targeted the building at the entrance to the village. Body parts were scattered in the debris as the Lebanese Red Cross volunteers searched for survivors in the wreckage and ambulances evacuated wounded people.
Footage from Lebanese media shows a large plume of smoke rising from the hilly village of Aitou with several destroyed cars next to the severely damaged residential building.
According to Lebanese state media, it’s the first time the area was attacked by the Israeli army in a year of hostilities.
So far, Israeli strikes have mainly been concentrated in southern areas of Lebanon where Hezbollah built its power base.
The Lebanese Hezbollah group is mainly present in the south of the country and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military and it wasn’t clear what the target was.
Hezbollah Fires Big Rocket Salvo At Northern Israel
Hezbollah said it launched a barrage of rockets at the north Israeli town of Safed.
It said in a statement that its fighters fired a “big rocket salvo” at Safed, adding it was “in defence of Lebanon” and in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanese cities, villages and civilians.
The Israeli army said it intercepted three rockets launched from Lebanese territory.
Also, Hezbollah released a new video showcasing their drone fleet on Monday afternoon, with the message “our capabilities are fine.”
It showed fighters preparing several drones for flight with pictures of late Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah and slain military chief of staff, Fouad Shukur.
Hezbollah has insisted that its military capabilities and structure remain intact and ready to fight Israel, despite the massive aerial campaign carried out against it since September 23, 2024, and the elimination of almost all of its senior military leadership.
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