Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Kassem said Sunday that his group is now in an 'open-ended battle' with Israel and he threatened more displacement for people in Israel's north hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned that Tel Aviv attack Hezbollah in "ways it could not image" over the last few days and "If Hezbollah has not understood the message, I promise you, it will understand the message."
As tensions grow in the Middle East region, Israel raided in the occupied West Bank area and demanded a shut down of news network Al Jazeera. After suspending its operations in Israel, the IDF conducted a raid at Al Jazeera's Ramallah office and called for its closure.
Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah exchanged more fire on Saturday night as tensions continue to escalate between the two rival states.
Middle East Tensions | Latest Update
Israel Raids Al Jazeera's Office In West Bank
Israeli forces carried out a raid in the occupied West Bank and reached the office of the news network Al Jazeera. As per reporters from Al Jazeera, Israeli forces have confiscated their cameras, microphones and other equipment to keep them from reporting about the raids.
"If we try to move… or even seem to be thinking of moving… they point their weapons at us,” said Jivara Budeiri, who is reporting from outside the street near the Ramallah office.
Reporters have also stated that the Israeli military has fired tear gas shells at the vicinity of the Ramallah bureau. Furthermore, a closure order has been issued by the IDF, accusing Al Jazeera of supporting terrorism.
Israel-Hezbollah Tensions Escalate
The Israeli military claimed 400 attacks on Lebanon near the bases of Hezbollah fighters. This attack from the IDF comes after Hezbollah fired rockets towards the Ramat David base. Saturday's rocket attack marked the largest exchange of fire since October 7, 2023.
The Israeli Police confirmed that rocket fire from Hezbollah also killed and injured several cows after a dairy in the Jezreel Valley came under direct hit during the rocket barrage from Lebanon.
Israelis Call On Urgent Release Of Hostages, Blame Govt For Failure To Reach Truce
Tens of thousands of Israelis continued their demonstrations in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities as they called for the urgent release of the Gaza hostages.
Calling out the government's failures to secure a deal for the release, hundreds of thousands of Israelis, some being relatives of the hostages, called on Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government to act urgently.
The protests in Tel Aviv and across Israel came despite the tensions with Hezbollah, which has caused rocket fire and attacks in the northern region of the Jewish state.
Israelis have also blamed Netanyahu for starting a regional war instead of seeking the release of hostages.
"Just as Netanyahu nurtured Hamas for years, now he’s collaborating with Sinwar, by giving him what he wants: a regional war. The price is being paid, and will be paid, by the hostages, and all the citizens of Israel," Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan Zangauker was kidnapped from his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, told Times Of Israel.
Israeli PM Netanyahu Warns Hezbollah
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned that Tel Aviv attack Hezbollah in "ways it could not image" over the last few days and "If Hezbollah has not understood the message, I promise you, it will understand the message."
The Israeli military reported striking about 290 targets on Saturday, targeting thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers and vowing to continue its operations against the Iran-backed group.
On Friday, Israeli airstrikes in a suburb of Beirut killed at least 37 people, including several Hezbollah commanders.
The group confirmed that 16 of its members, including senior leaders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi, were among the casualties, marking the deadliest strike in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah's Deputy Leader Says His Group Is Now In 'Open-Ended' Battle Of Reckoning With Israel
Hezbollah's deputy leader Naim Kassem said Sunday that his group is now in an open-ended battle with Israel and he threatened more displacement for people in Israel's north.
“We admit that we are pained. We are humans. But as we are pained, you will also be pained,” Kassem said at the funeral of top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Akil.
“Your economy will be destroyed...and you will not achieve your goals,” he said.
Kassem added that Hezbollah, which has lost a group of senior military leaders in recent months has “returned stronger, and the front line will witness this.”
He said a barrage of 100 rockets fired by the group deep into Israel early Sunday was only the beginning.
Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023 in response to the Hamas attack in southern Israel. The attack by the Palestinian militant group killed around 1,200 and took around 250 Israelis hostage. Since then, Israel announced a complete siege of Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel's bombardment in Gaza has killed around 40,000 Palestinians, including women and children. As the war nears a year of fighting, Israel has expanded its bombardment to occupied West Bank and escalated tensions for a regional war with Hezbollah, Houthis and Iran.
