‘Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah ‘wherever necessary’ – Netanyahu

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Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Thursday that Israel will persist in its military operations against Hezbollah wherever necessary, despite the announcement of a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Netanyahu’s comments followed a massive wave of Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, which the Lebanese health ministry reported killed at least 254 people and wounded over 1,100. 

The Prime Minister emphasized that Israel’s objective is to restore security for residents of the north by dismantling the force and determination of the militant group.
 

The Israeli military recently launched what it described as its most powerful attacks of the war, targeting over 100 sites across Lebanon within a 10-minute window as part of an escalation referred to as Operation Eternal Darkness. 

During these operations, the IDF announced the killing of Ali Yusuf Harshi, a personal aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Additional strikes targeted critical infrastructure, including crossing points on the Litani River and approximately 10 weapons storage facilities, command centers, and rocket launchers. In response to the heavy casualties, the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office declared Thursday a national day of mourning, ordering the closure of public administrations and the lowering of flags to honor the civilians killed.

These ongoing strikes have cast a significant shadow over the Islamabad Accords, a two-week truce mediated by Pakistan between the U.S. and Iran. While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated the ceasefire is intended to be effective everywhere, including Lebanon, the Israeli leadership and U.S. President Donald Trump have maintained that Lebanon is excluded from the agreement. 

Hezbollah responded to the strikes on Thursday morning by firing several rounds of rockets into northern Israel, triggering sirens in local communities and characterizing the launches as a necessary response to ceasefire violations.
 

As the two-week negotiation period begins, the conflict in Lebanon remains the primary threat to the regional de-escalation effort. Amnesty International and other rights groups have issued urgent calls to protect civilians, noting that the death toll in Lebanon has surpassed 1,500 since intensified ground and air operations began in early March.