Israel struck Hezbollah with “a series of blows it didn't imagine," Netanyahu says

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that in the past few days “We have struck Hezbollah with a series of blows it didn’t imagine.” 

“If Hezbollah didn’t get the message - I assure you - they will get the message. We are determined to return our citizens in the north to their homes safely,” said the prime minister, speaking ahead of a government meeting on Sunday. 

“No country can tolerate incoming fire against its citizens, incoming fire against its cities. And we too, the state of Israel, won’t tolerate it. We will do anything necessary to restore the security,” he said.

Speaking from an air force command and control room, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “Hezbollah has started to sense some of the IDF’s capabilities, and there’s already a difficult feeling there that we’re after them, and we’re seeing the results.” 

Some context: Israel carried out some of its most intense strikes on Lebanon against Hezbollah since the October 7 attacks, striking thousands of launchers on Saturday after it said it uncovered plans for a Hezbollah rocket attack. On Friday, at least 45 people were killed, including high-level Hezbollah commanders, in an Israeli strike on southern Beirut.

These strikes followed the detonation of walkie-talkies in Lebanon earlier this week, which killed at least 20 people and pager blasts targeting Hezbollah members which killed at least 12, including children, and injured thousands across the country.