Netanyahu says Hezbollah will ‘get the message’ after Israeli strikes ‘it never imagined’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday (Sep 22)that Hezbollah will soon understand Israel's message following recent Israeli military actions.

"Over the past few days, we hit Hezbollah with a string of strikes that it didn’t imagine," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

He continued, "If Hezbollah didn’t get the message, I promise you, it will get the message," stressing that Israel was committed to ensuring that Israelis displaced in the northern region can return to their homes safely.

"We are determined to return our [displaced northern] residents safely to their homes. No country can tolerate [rocket] fire at its residents, [rocket] fire at its cities. The State of Israel cannot tolerate it either," he added.

Netanyahu also said that Israel "will do everything necessary in order to restore security."

These comments came after Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets, missiles, and drones into Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks in Lebanon. These strikes targeted senior Hezbollah leaders, besides the blasts in communications devices like pagers and walkie-talkies.

Netanyahu's statement did not mention Hezbollah's attack overnight, which triggered air-raid sirens across many towns in northern Israel. According to Hezbollah, they hit Israeli military bases, including one near the coastal city of Haifa.

The assault was one of Hezbollah’s deepest strikes into Israeli territory since the start of its offensive. The Israeli military reported that most of the rockets were intercepted by the country’s air defenses, with only minor injuries recorded. However, a town near Haifa was directly hit, causing disruptions across various regions, including increased restrictions on public gatherings in areas like the Golan Heights and Galilee.

In Lebanon, officials reported that the death toll from Israel’s airstrikes on Friday in Beirut had risen to at least 45, with women and children among the victims.

Hezbollah also confirmed that one of its top commanders, Ibrahim Aqeel, who was wanted by the US for his involvement in two bombings in 1983 that killed over 350 people in Beirut, was among those killed.

(With inputs from agencies)