Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday said Israel’s “course of action will continue," after Hezbollah leader General Hassan Nasrallah’s speech in which he said the detonation of communication devices in Lebanon the terror group attributed to Israel "could be considered a declaration of war." Israel has not claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks.
Gallant held consultations on the various possibilities for continuing the campaign against Hezbollah on the northern border with IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi, senior military officials, Shin Bet and Mossad officials.
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IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
(Photo: Shira Keinan)
"In recent days, we’ve been holding a series of important discussions. This is a new stage in the war, one that presents significant opportunities, but also substantial risks,” Gallant said. "Hezbollah is feeling pressured and our sequence of military actions will continue. Our goal is to return northern residents to their homes safely. Hezbollah will pay a growing price as time goes on. At the same time, we’ll continue our efforts to bring the hostages home and dismantle Hamas in Gaza."
"We were dealt a massive blow," Nasrallah said in his first comments since the coordinated detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies used by the terror group in Lebanon, calling it "genocide." However, he said that the fighting would not stop until the war in Gaza ended. "Even a full-scale war won’t lead to the return of the northern residents," he said addressing his words to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant.
Nasrallah also threatened that Hezbollah would have a "historic opportunity" if Israel initiated a ground operation in Lebanon, recalling the past guerrilla operations against IDF forces in the buffer zone from which Israel withdrew in 2000. In his speech, Nasrallah promised a "proper," punishment but didn’t elaborate. "it’ll come from somewhere either expected or unexpected."
The IAF struck approximately 30 Hezbollah launchers and terrorist infrastructure sites
(IDF)
Israel was preparing for a harsh response and is shifting its focus in the war to the northern front, with a commitment to achieving the war’s goals of returning the northern residents to their homes — after 11 months of fighting.
Jerusalem was also concerned about possible Iranian involvement — as its ambassador to Lebanon was seriously injured in the pager attack. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami declared that he informed Nasrallah that Israel would face "a crushing response from the axis of resistance."
Just before Nasrallah began his speech, the IDF announced it had launched a wave of strikes in Lebanon. "The IDF is currently striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure," an IDF statement read 15 minutes before the speech began. Reports indicated bombings across southern Lebanese villages.