In a defiant address to world leaders on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep targeting Hezbollah and fight “until victory” against Hamas. Despite growing international calls for ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s stance, emphasizing its determination to defend itself from Hezbollah’s aggression in the north and Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu also issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that Israel would retaliate if Tehran launched a direct attack. “If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran where the long arm of Israel cannot reach,” he declared.
This week, Israel’s intensified airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon resulted in the deaths of around 700 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Despite these escalating tensions, a U.S.-led push for a ceasefire has yet to gain traction.
“As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice,” Netanyahu said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly. He stressed that operations would continue until the threat was fully neutralized, allowing Israeli citizens to return home safely.
In Lebanon, the conflict has sparked a mass exodus of around 118,000 people, with airstrikes intensifying overnight. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that one of the strikes killed a family of nine in southern Lebanon. Despite the rising civilian toll, Israel shows no signs of halting its military campaign.