Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 missiles since October 7, amid French-American efforts to contain the escalation so that it does not develop into a war.
He stated, in a press conference for foreign media broadcast by the private Hebrew Channel 12, that “Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 missiles, anti-tank shells, and drones since the events of October 7.”
Hagari explained, “We will work for the return of the Israelis to the north… This is non-negotiable,” adding that “Hezbollah in Lebanon is escalating its attacks against Israel.”
He continued, “Hezbollah’s increasing attacks are leading us to the brink of what could be a broader escalation…an escalation that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the region.”
Commenting on the statements of the Israeli army spokesman, Maariv newspaper, quoting the Israeli army, said that Hagari’s statements regarding a widespread escalation in Lebanon are not a threat, but rather a message to Washington and the world.
Nasrallah’s conditions
For its part, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted an Israeli security source as saying that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah would not stop his attacks until after an agreement to release detainees and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier yesterday, Sunday, the Israeli army, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, launched air and artillery bombardment on border towns in southern Lebanon, after a cautious calm prevailed on this front for 12 hours.
Since the eighth of last October, Palestinian and Lebanese factions in Lebanon, most notably Hezbollah, have exchanged daily bombardments with the Israeli army, resulting in hundreds killed and wounded, most of them on the Lebanese side.
The United States and France are working to reach a negotiated settlement to contain the escalation on Lebanon’s southern border.
The factions say that they stand in solidarity with Gaza, which has been exposed to an Israeli war since October 7 that has left more than 122,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid deadly famine and massive destruction.
Israel continues its war on Gaza, ignoring two UN Security Council resolutions to end it immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of Rafah (south), and to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the dire humanitarian situation in the Strip.
