The group has reportedly confirmed the death of one of its fighters and said it would respond in line with “rules of deterrence”
FILE PHOTO. © Global Look Press / Marwan Naamani
The Lebanon-based Shiite militant group Hezbollah said on Monday that it would “respond” to Israeli strikes targeting its facilities amid a recent escalation, local media outlets have reported. The militants also confirmed the death of at least one of their fighters in the attacks.
The group told Lebanon’s al-Jadeed TV that it would respond to the shelling of the Ayt al-Shaab area in the south of the country “in accordance with the rules of deterrence that it has imposed,” without clarifying what exact measures it planned to take.
Several local news outlets have reported that Israel is continuing to strike southern Lebanon, adding that two Hezbollah fighters might have been killed in the attacks. According to the Israeli media, a number of rockets were fired from Lebanon at Israel on Monday evening, but they resulted in no injuries. West Jerusalem has confirmed what it called a fire exchange at the border with Lebanon and issued restrictions to the residents of towns in northern Israel, the local media reported.
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Businesses in the area can only remain open if they have immediate access to bomb shelters and gatherings are restricted to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors, the Israeli military’s Home Front Command said, adding that public beaches are closed altogether. The measures are to stay in place until Tuesday evening, the media reported, adding that they are likely to be extended.
The Hezbollah statement comes amid the biggest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group controlling the Gaza Strip in recent years. Over the weekend, Hamas launched a massive attack on Israel, breaching the border and briefly overrunning nearby Israeli settlements. It has also launched thousands of rockets at Israel over the past few days.
According to Israeli officials, the death toll linked to the Hamas attacks has reached at least 900. Israel responded by launching massive air strikes at the Gaza Strip and announcing a “complete siege” of the area.
Washington had earlier issued a warning to Hezbollah, urging the group to refrain from interfering in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken specifically mentioned the Lebanon-based group in a talk with CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.
