Netanyahu orders military to 'intensify the blows' against Hezbollah, drone attacks surge in Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he had ordered the military to “intensify the blows” against Hezbollah signaling an escalation in Israel’s campaign in Lebanon as cross-border drone attacks surged.
“We are at war with Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said in a video released on X.
“Just in recent weeks, our brave fighters have eliminated more than 600 terrorists. I want you to know that — more than 600 terrorists,” he said.
“But we are not taking our foot off the gas. On the contrary, I said we must press the pedal even harder. We will strike them,” the Israeli leader warned.
“Yes, they are launching drones at us — fiber drones. We have a special team working on this, and we will solve that too,” he explained before describing how Israeli citizens in the north “are showing resilience.”
“I want to commend the residents of the north — the resilience that inspires all of us,” he said.
“But what this requires from us now is to intensify the blows, to increase the force. We will strike them hard, decisively,” Netanyahu added.
The remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said it was striking Hezbollah sites in the Beqaa Valley and other areas across Lebanon.
In a statement on Monday, the IDF said it had struck more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites using 85 munitions in several areas across Lebanon.
The IDF also said the Israeli Air Force had “eliminated Hezbollah terrorists” operating on motorcycles in the south.
Posted by Emma Bussey