TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned Lebanon that the country could face the same level of destruction as Gaza if Hezbollah continues its attacks on Israel as Israel intensified its ground offensive along the southern Lebanese coast.
In a video address directed at the people of Lebanon, Netanyahu urged them to avoid supporting Hezbollah.
Netanyahu’s warning coincides with the Israeli military’s deployment of additional troops along the Lebanese coast and an evacuation order for civilians in the area.
Israeli forces have been expanding operations in Lebanon as part of their efforts to secure the northern border after months of cross-border fire with Hezbollah since October 7, 2023.
Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon comes nearly a year after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Israel has since launched a relentless military campaign in Gaza, killing over 41,965 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry, which the United Nations has described as reliable.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that civilians in Gaza remain displaced and continue to face dire conditions after a year of war.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military expanded its ground offensive against Hezbollah along the southern section of Lebanon’s coast on Tuesday, deploying more troops and warning civilians near the Mediterranean region to evacuate.
Hezbollah said it fired rockets at the Israeli port city of Haifa after the Israeli army reported 85 projectiles crossing from Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the war against Hezbollah and Hamas until defeating both groups.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah have vowed to maintain their resistance against Israel. On Tuesday, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, stated that the group would ensure that returning Israelis would face severe challenges.
Since Israel launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on September 23, the conflict has resulted in over 1,110 deaths and displaced more than a million people in Lebanon.
While the Lebanese coast has not been spared, Israel’s latest evacuation warning suggests it is extending its offensive northwards. On its Telegram channel, the Israeli military said its 146th Division began ” localized operational activities” in southwestern Lebanon.
A day earlier, the military had warned people to stay away from the southern part of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast south of the Al-Awali River. A spokesperson said that Israel would soon conduct operations in maritime areas.
In Sidon, local fishermen expressed distress over the impact of the conflict on their livelihoods, with one fisherman, Issam Haboush, lamenting, “If we don’t go out to sea, we won’t be able to feed ourselves.”
The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion, where a strike last month killed the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah later said it repelled Israeli troops who “infiltrated from behind” a UN peacekeepers’ position in the southern border village of Labboune.
Despite the increasing pressure from Israeli strikes, Hezbollah maintains that its leadership remains intact and its military capabilities are operational. Qassem countered Netanyahu’s claims about the return of displaced Israelis, warning that many more residents would likely be forced to flee.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant characterized Hezbollah as a “battered and broken organization,” asserting that its command structure had been weakened following the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, last month.
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to its military objectives, stating, “As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight.”
