Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened on Sunday to reoccupy southern Lebanon if cross-border attacks by Hezbollah persist.
The Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it targeted several Israeli military sites with missiles, while Al-Jazeera reported that sirens sounded in more than 15 towns in the Hula Plain and Upper Galilee region near the border with Lebanon.
In the statement, Hezbollah added that its fighters destroyed the spy equipment at the Israeli military site Ramia after bombing it “with appropriate weapons”.
It also reportedly targeted an Israeli Hummer vehicle at the Al-Malikiyah site with a guided missile, killing and wounding its crew.
Two missiles were fired from Lebanon towards the Israeli sites of Zabdin and Ramtha in the occupied Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon, according to Al-Jazeera.
🔥 Hezbollah is burning Israeli fields to ashes in response to Israel dropping white phosphorus on Lebanon and burning olive trees. Lebanon has every right to defend itself. pic.twitter.com/8uImADOhsz
— Hadi Nasrallah (@HadiNasrallah) May 10, 2024
The Israeli army confirmed that sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel.
For its part, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that flare bombs were fired over the Metulla area in the Upper Galilee on the border with Lebanon.
Inevitable War
Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened on Sunday to reoccupy southern Lebanon if cross-border attacks by Hezbollah persist.
“Give an ultimatum to Hezbollah. If it is not answered in full then launch a defensive attack including ground entry and an Israeli takeover of southern Lebanon,” Smotrich said in statements reported by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
“We are going to war, it is inevitable,” the minister reportedly stated.
According to Anadolu news agency, there was no comment from Hezbollah on the Israeli minister’s threat.
Escalating Tensions
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
According to Hezbollah sources, the movement has carried out 169 military operations in the first 120 days of war, killing over 2,000 Israeli soldiers.
🇮🇷🇵🇸🇱🇧| Hezbollah's new air defence system! 💪
It's most likely the exact Iranian system which was used to shoot down US' MQ-4c Triton over the Gulf of Oman.
"3rd of Khordad" will become the new nightmare of Israeli regime. Enjoy the clip of MQ-4C downing! pic.twitter.com/Q3fIYu3J96
— 𝐄𝐡𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐝 🇮🇷🇵🇸 (@Safarnejad_IR) May 18, 2024
Israel has occupied parts of Lebanon for decades and has only left the country in 2000, following stiff Lebanese resistance under Hezbollah’s leadership.
It attempted to re-occupy Lebanon in 2006 but failed in what Lebanon considers a major victory against Israel.
Israel, however, continues to occupy parts of Lebanon, namely the Sheeba Farms region.
Hezbollah has vowed to recover every inch of Lebanon that has been occupied by Israel contrary to international law.
(PC, Anadolu, AJA)
