Israel defence minister Yoav Gallant shot a warning to Lebanese group Hezbollah and its backers Iran by saying that Israel can ‘copy-paste’ its war on Gaza’s Hamas to Lebanese capital Beirut.
“We are willing to sacrifice. They see what is happening in Gaza. They know we can copy-paste to Beirut,” Gallant was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal in an interview released on Sunday.
Gallant also said that Iran is amassing its strength and building an ‘axis’ to launch an attack on Israel, referring to the slowly increasing attacks by Hezbollah on areas adjoining Israel’s northern border.
“My basic view: We are fighting an axis, not a single enemy. Iran is building up military power around Israel in order to use it,” Gallant told the newspaper. “Should Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran be allowed to decide how we live our lives here in Israel? This is something we don’t accept,” he further added.
Shortly after the interview was released Hezbollah said it has begun taking steps to avenge the death of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Aruri. The Israeli army said Hezbollah fired a barrage of missiles that hit a sensitive air traffic control base on Mount Meron on Saturday.
It said that air defences were not affected by the attack because backup systems were in place. It further added that no soldiers were hurt and damages will be repaired.
Hezbollah described its rocket barrage as an “initial response” to the targeted killing of the senior Hamas leader in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut last week, which is presumed to have been carried out by Israel.
Israel says that it wants to limit the fighting in the north where Hezbollah has increased its attacks following the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war after the terrorist group killed over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped around 250 of them on October 7.
Hezbollah has said that it will support Hamas and continue its attacks on Israel to avenge the deaths of civilians in Gaza, who are caught in the war between Hamas and Israel. More than 22,800 Palestinians have been killed and more than 58,000 wounded since the war began.
Israeli leaders last week warned that Israel’s patience with Hezbollah, whose military capabilities are far superior to those of Hamas, is wearing thin and if tensions cannot be resolved through diplomacy, they are prepared to use force.
“I suggest that Hezbollah learn what Hamas has already learned in recent months: No terrorist is immune. We are determined to defend our citizens and to return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet.
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