Israel and Hezbollah attack each other, Israeli Prime Minister says they will continue to fight
On October 7, Israel and Hezbollah found themselves embroiled in ongoing conflicts, with each side claiming responsibility for attacking the other’s positions. In a speech that day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed the nation’s military goals and reiterated Israel’s determination to continue its fight.
As reported by Al Jazeera, on the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had conducted strikes on multiple locations in Beirut linked to Hezbollah’s intelligence operations. In response, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli military base.
That evening, the IDF reported that air raid sirens sounded in central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as approximately five rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israeli territory. Some of the incoming missiles were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, while others landed in uninhabited areas.
Hezbollah confirmed their involvement in that attack, stating they aimed at the Glilot base, which is part of the Israeli military’s intelligence unit 8200 situated in the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
Reports indicate that on the night of October 7, the Israeli military launched a “large-scale air operation” in southern Lebanon intended to undermine Hezbollah’s command and control capabilities and to assist ground forces in achieving their operational objectives. Reuters pointed out that while the IDF characterized its ground operations in Lebanon as “localized, limited, and targeted,” the scale of these operations has been gradually increasing since the previous week.
Furthermore, the IDF announced on October 7 that, based on situational assessments, areas in northern Israel such as Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi, Hanita, and Arab Alamsha would be designated as military no-go zones starting at 10 PM that evening, restricting entry to these regions.
In a speech covered by the BBC and The Times of Israel, Netanyahu emphasized the need to continue the fight to “thwart any future threats against Israel.” He outlined that the conflict would come to an end only when specific goals were achieved: the overthrow of Hamas in Gaza, the release of all Israeli hostages, the elimination of future threats from Gaza, and the safe return of residents to their homes in both southern and northern Israel.
Netanyahu stressed, “As long as the enemy threatens Israel’s existence and peace, Israel will continue to fight. As long as Israeli personnel remain held in Gaza, and the residents of this country cannot return home, Israel will fight on.”
In related news, Sky News reported on a recent study revealing that since the current wave of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reignited on October 7, 2023, the U.S. has provided Israel with more than $17.9 billion in military support, setting a historical record. A report from Brown University indicated that alongside military financing and arms sales, the U.S. has allocated an additional $4.86 billion to bolster military operations in the Middle East, addressing threats such as those posed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The report also highlighted that Israel has consistently been the largest recipient of U.S. military aid, with inflation-adjusted assistance totaling $251.2 billion since 1959.
