Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern warning to Hezbollah as tensions rise with the Lebanese group following cross-border fire exchanges. Speaking to soldiers in the Kiryat Shmona settlement in northern Israel on Monday, Netanyahu cautioned Hezbollah against underestimating the strength of the Israeli army.
“Hezbollah made a serious mistake about us in 2006 and is doing so again now. It thinks that we are weak as a spider web and now sees what kind of spider we are,” Netanyahu stated. He emphasised that the Israeli army is prepared to take any necessary measures to restore security to the northern region.
“We have given Hezbollah an example of what happened to its friends in the south,” Netanyahu said, referring to Israel’s recent actions against the Gaza Strip. “That is what will happen here in the north. We will do anything to bring back security,” he added.
The situation escalated with the killing of senior leader Wissam Al-Hassan in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon’s town of Khirbet Selm on Monday. The exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel began after a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, marking the deadliest clashes since the 2006 war.
The recent killing of senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri in Beirut has further heightened concerns about a potential escalation. Although Arouri was killed in an airstrike last week, Israel has not confirmed its involvement in the attack.