Netanyahu from the Operations Room: Israel on the Verge of Complicated Days

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from the Ministry of Defense operations room on Monday, stated that Israel is “on the verge of complicated days” following its largest air attack on Lebanon since October 8, 2023.

He continued, saying, “I promised that we would change the balance of power in the north, and that is exactly what we are doing,” emphasizing that Israel “does not wait for the threat but precedes it.”

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu has been at the Air Force headquarters at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv since the morning hours to monitor the attacks on Lebanon.

The Israeli army announced on Monday evening that it had bombed about 1,300 Hezbollah targets across Lebanon within 24 hours.

Lebanese authorities reported that the Israeli raids resulted in more than 270 deaths, including 21 children, and over a thousand injuries.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said from the operations command center that the Israeli army is “destroying what Hezbollah has built over 20 years.”

Gallant noted that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah “has become isolated, with entire units of the Radwan Force taken out of action.”

Potential Ground Invasion

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the army is dismantling “capabilities that Hezbollah has built over 20 years.”

He continued, “We are attacking targets and preparing the next stages.”

The Israeli army has not ruled out a ground invasion of Lebanon, according to an army spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared, “From now on, Israel will change the rules of the game.”

In response to the widespread Israeli campaign, Hezbollah launched a series of rocket attacks targeting deep inside Israel, reaching settlements in the West Bank.

The Israeli army reported that 210 rockets had been fired from Lebanon since the morning, according to Haaretz.

Source: ElKhabariya + Agencies