Israel seeks “peace, prosperity, and stability on both sides of the northern border,” Y. Gallant said in an extraordinary message addressed directly to the Lebanese population.
“We will not allow Hezbollah fighters to destabilize the border and the region,” Y. Gallant said.
“If Hezbollah continues its aggression, Israel will fight back with all its might,” Gallant said, adding: “Those who play with fire can expect to suffer.”
The threat of a major war in the Middle East has increased following the killings of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander of the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah, in Tehran.
Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas have threatened to retaliate against Israel.
After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and the war in Gaza broke out, Hezbollah has been shelling Israeli positions almost daily as a show of support for its ally, the Palestinian group.
Such clashes in both Lebanon and Israel have already claimed many civilian lives, killing more than 350 Hezbollah members and Israeli soldiers.
Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes on both sides of the border.