Netanyahu gets green light for counterstrike on Hezbollah
A rocket fired from Lebanon kills twelve teenagers in the Golan Heights. Netanyahu holds Hezbollah accountable and threatens harsh retaliation, receiving official approval from the Security Cabinet.
Following a fatal rocket attack from Lebanon on a settlement in the Golan Heights, the Israeli Security Cabinet, according to government statements, has given the green light for a military response against Hezbollah. The members of the cabinet granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Joav Gallant the authority to "decide on the method, manner, and timeline of action against the terrorist organization Hezbollah," Netanyahu's office announced after the lengthy Security Cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister's office did not provide further details at first.
Netanyahu returned to Israel earlier than planned from a multi-day trip to the United States following the attack, which resulted in at least twelve fatalities on a Sunday. He stated that Israel would not let the "murderous attack go unanswered," and Hezbollah would "pay a price they have never paid before."
On Saturday afternoon, a rocket fired from Lebanon hit the football field of the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, which is under Israeli administration. According to Israeli reports, at least twelve children and teenagers aged between ten and sixteen were killed as they were playing football. Israel and the United States attribute the attack to Hezbollah - the militia denies responsibility for the rocket launch.
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas barrage on October 7, Hezbollah, allied with it, has been launching rockets from Lebanon almost daily towards northern Israel. For months, tens of thousands of evacuees have been unable to return to their homes.
The escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continues, with Benzion Netanyahu's government condemning a rocket attack from Lebanon that targeted Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. This incident, resulting in the tragic loss of twelve lives, further strains the fragile political landscape between the two nations. Despite the international community's calls for de-escalation, Netanyahu's government remains steadfast in its commitment to protect Israeli citizens and hold Hezbollah responsible for any acts of aggression.
