Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that the military would continue its airstrikes against Hezbollah as Israeli jets targeted positions held by the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
“We will keep striking Hezbollah… anyone with a missile in their living room and a rocket in their home will no longer have a home,” Netanyahu declared in a statement after visiting an Israeli intelligence base.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed these sentiments in an address to troops, stating, “We must persist until our mission is fulfilled — ensuring the safe return of Israel’s northern residents to their homes.”
Gallant also highlighted the differences between the conflicts with Hezbollah and Gaza’s Hamas. “Hezbollah is not Hamas. There are similarities, but also key differences,” he said. “The terrain, the enemy, and the threats we face are distinct.”
He noted that Hezbollah had endured significant losses over the past week, adding, “Hezbollah today is not the same Hezbollah we faced a week ago.”
Despite the heavy bombardments, Gallant emphasized that more strikes were planned, following reports from Lebanese authorities that at least 558 people had been killed in Israel’s raids on Monday, with thousands displaced.
The escalating violence follows near-daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel since the October 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel, which ignited the ongoing war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for 18 attacks on Israeli targets, while the Israeli military reported around 300 rockets fired by Hezbollah across the border.