Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “nothing will deter us, we will keep going until victory,” after a drone struck his vacation home in northern Israel Saturday as the military continued its operations in Lebanon and Gaza.
Netanyahu, 74, was not in the area when the drone was fired from Lebanon at his residence in Caesarea, his spokesperson said.
The drone strike on the prime minister’s residence comes just days after Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The drone hit an undisclosed building, officials explained. There were no casualties.
The attack was not immediately claimed by Hezbollah, which has launched rockets and drones into Israel for over a year, including more than 100 shot over the border from Lebanon Saturday.
“Iran tried to eliminate the Prime Minister of Israel,” one senior Israeli official said, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
Two other drones that crossed into Israeli territory were intercepted, according to the military.
Netanyahu responded to the drone attack with a video clip of himself insisting that “nothing will deter” him and that Israel is “going to win this war.”
“You know, two days ago we eliminated the mass murderer [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar, as I’ve said, we’re in an existential war, and we’re continuing to the end,” the prime minister said in Hebrew in the video, the Times of Israel reported.
“And I want to say something else, I’m proud of our soldiers, I’m proud of our commanders, and I’m proud of you, the citizens of Israel,” he added.
A photo of Sinwar’s dead body, along with a warning to the terror group, was featured prominently in leaflets that Israel dropped over the Gaza Strip Saturday.
“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza,” the leaflets read in Arabic.
“Whoever drops their weapon and hands over the hostages will be allowed to leave and live in peace,” they added.
In an English version of his video statement, Netanyahu called Sinwar “the terrorist mastermind whose goons beheaded our men, raped our women and burned babies alive.”
“We took him out, and we’re continuing our battle with Iran’s other terrorist proxies.”
Separately, a man believed to be a key adviser to al-Qaeda’s current leader called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, the Times of Israel reported, citing the American anti-jihadist monitoring organization SITE.
Hamas must “immediately” return the hostages and the bodies of those who have since died, said the online statement by Mustafa Hamid, also known as Abu Walid al-Masri, who is the father-in-law of Saif al-Adel, the man widely believed to now head Al-Qaeda. “This file must be closed and not opened again, as we know its consequences,” the statement said.
Amid the onslaught of drones launched into northern Israel Saturday, one man in his 50s died from injuries sustained in a rocket attack near Acre, the Times of Israel reported.
Israeli airstrikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut Saturday – marking the first attack on the Hezbollah stronghold in three days, according the Agence France-Presse.
Meanwhile, after combing through southern Lebanon over the last two weeks, the Israel Defense Forces uncovered what it said are a vast network of Hezbollah tunnels, replete with weapons caches and rocket launchers that pose a threat to nearby communities.
Israel found “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of underground positions, some of which could hold about ten fighters and were stocked with rations, according to a military official.
The tunnels have lighting, ventilation, and sometimes even plumbing – indicating that they could be used for long stays, Israel said.
Several Hezbollah fighters were arrested hiding inside the tunnels, including three on Tuesday, the military said.
Israeli troops have been blowing up the tunnels or using cement to make them unusable.
Hezbollah is reportedly turning to its underground tunnels in order to evade Israeli airpower.
Unlike Hamas’ sand tunnels beneath Gaza, Hezbollah’s underground structures are carved into solid rock – a type of construction that requires time, money and expertise.
The tunnel network extends underneath Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah’s control center and missile stockpile are located, said Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst who specializes in the Middle East and Islamic militant groups.
The group also maintains tunnels along the border with Syria, which are used to smuggle weapons and other supplies from Iran.
The Israeli military recently said it found one tunnel that crossed a few meters into Israel, but did not have an opening in the Jewish state. Another shaft was exposed just over 100 yards from a UN peacekeeper's post.
For Israeli officials, the tunnels are also evidence that Hezbollah planned its own Oct. 7-style attack on northern Israel.
Israel did not release evidence that such an attack was imminent but expressed concern that one might be launched as soon as evacuated residents return.
No comments:
Post a Comment