Tel Aviv [Israel], June 19 (ANI): Vowing to exact a “very heavy price” from Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of four Israeli soldiers, including a commander, who were killed in the “heinous attack”.
The Israeli forces alleged Hezbollah had violated the ceasfire when a suspected drone strike killed an IDF tank battalion commander and three other soldiers in southern Lebanon.
In a post on X, Netanyahu expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and extended wishes for the full recovery of those wounded. He denounced the attack as a “blatant violation of the ceasefire” and confirmed that he instructed the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to strike the militant group with “full force.”
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the commander of the 52nd Armored Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gadliah Ben Simhon, and of the three heroic fighters whose names have not yet been released, may their blood be avenged, and I wish a full recovery to the wounded in yesterday’s exchange of fire. Following the heinous attack by Hezbollah, which was a blatant violation of the ceasefire, I instructed the IDF last night to strike Hezbollah with full force,” he wrote in the post.
The Prime Minister affirmed that the IDF successfully attacked more than 80 terrorist targets and eliminated dozens of militants in the wake of the breach. He added that the Israeli operations continued this morning with a strike on Hezbollah headquarters in the Bekaa Valley.
“The IDF attacked more than 80 terrorist targets and eliminated dozens of terrorists. Subsequently, the IDF struck Hezbollah headquarters in the Bekaa Valley this morning,” he stated.
Following a situation assessment with the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the General Staff, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel will not tolerate threats to its territory or military personnel. He reaffirmed that Israeli forces will maintain a presence in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect communities in northern Israel.
“The IDF will act to thwart any threat to our forces and our territory,” the Prime Minister stated, underscoring that his directive to the military is clear and unwavering.
“This morning, I held a situation assessment with the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff. My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks. As I made unequivocally clear, including yesterday: Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as required to protect the settlements in the north,” he wrote.
His remarks come after Israel Defence Forces (IDF) carried out strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Friday, killing at least 16 people and leaving several more injured, Al Jazeera reported.
Even though the Iran-US deal called for cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the strikes continued.
In a statement, the IDF also stated that they carried out numerous attacks on southern Lebanon overnight, saying they were a response to Hezbollah’s “repeated violations of the ceasefire,” as per Al Jazeera.
“The Air Force struck a short time ago at Hezbollah terrorist organization infrastructure in the Bekaa Valley, this in response to repeated violations of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to advance and carry out terror plots against IDF forces,” the Israeli Air Force said.
Additionally, Times of Israel reported that in another Hezbollah attack on Thursday night, five soldiers were wounded, including one seriously. According to the IDF, an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck forces of the Commando Brigade in Kfar Tebnit. (ANI)
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