Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Tuesday to intensify the military’s aerial bombardment campaign against Hezbollah, as Israeli fighter jets targeted multiple sites associated with the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
“We will continue to hit Hezbollah,” Netanyahu declared in a statement following a visit to an Israeli intelligence base. “Anyone who stores missiles in their living room and rockets in their home will not have a home.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed the prime minister’s resolve during an address to Israeli troops on Tuesday, stating: “We must press on until we achieve our goal — ensuring the safe return of Israel’s northern residents to their homes.”
Gallant also drew distinctions between the ongoing confrontations with Hezbollah and Israel’s battle with Hamas militants in Gaza. “Hezbollah is not Hamas,” he said. “There are similarities, but also differences. The terrain looks different, the enemy looks different, and the threats and challenges are different.”
The defense minister added that Hezbollah had suffered significant losses over the past week, declaring, “Hezbollah today is not the same Hezbollah we knew a week ago,” but warned that “we have more strikes ready.”
Lebanese authorities reported that at least 558 people were killed in Israel’s air raids on Monday, with thousands of residents forced to flee their homes. The death toll underscores the intensity of the conflict, as hostilities continue to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah.
The two long-time adversaries have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of cross-border fire since October 7, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, sparking the current war in Gaza.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 18 attacks on Israeli positions on Tuesday, while the Israeli military reported that Hezbollah had launched around 300 rockets across the border.
