PM Naftali Bennett Condemns Hezbollah Rocket Attack, United States: Israel Has Right To Self-Defense

JAKARTA - Israel strongly condemns Hezbollah's rocket attacks on their territory last week, demanding the Lebanese government take responsibility for attacks carried out from Lebanese territory.

Lebanon must control terrorists firing rockets at Israel, regardless of who they are, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting.

"The Lebanese state and the Lebanese army must be held accountable for what happens in their backyards," he said, quoting The Jerusalem Post Sunday, August 8.

"It doesn't really matter to us whether it's a Palestinian group or an independent rebel. Israel will not accept shelling on its territory," said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

This statement comes two days after Hezbollah fired about 20 rockets into Israel. Iron Dome intercepted 10 of them, six fell in an open area, and another fell in Lebanon. This is the sixth attack against Israel in recent months and the first time Hezbollah has claimed responsibility.

In retaliation, the Israeli military (IDF) responded by firing 40 artillery shells in open areas in southern Lebanon.

"Iran and Hezbollah are trying to entrap Israel in Lebanon's economic and political crisis," Bennett criticized, praising the vital rise of Lebanese against Hezbollah and Iran's influence in their country.

Separately, marking the 15th anniversary of the Second Lebanon War on Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called the exchange of fire with Israel a “very dangerous development and the biggest escalation since the war ended.

"Hezbollah does not intend to make new rules to get involved. Israel is afraid to continue attacking Lebanon," Nasrallah said.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all parties involved in the violence near the northern border, to exercise complete restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions and lead to miscalculations.

This call drew criticism. Israeli Ambassador to the US and UN Gilad Erdan regretted Gutteres' remarks, as he chose to draw a moral equivalence between attacks perpetrated by terrorist organizations and the law-abiding and democratic State of Israel, which is a member of the United Nations."

"Hezbollah, committed war crimes by targeting Israeli civilians from inside Lebanese civilian areas," Erdan said.

In his letter to the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council, Erdan condemned the attack by Hezbollah, judging it to violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which was passed at the end of the Second Lebanon War.

"Recent attacks and rising tensions in the region, exacerbated by Iran's activities and arming its proxies, especially Hezbollah, demonstrate once again the urgent need to actively enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006)," Erdan wrote.

"Although Israel is not interested in escalation, we will not leave attacks on Israeli civilians unanswered. If these attacks continue, Israel will have no choice but to respond and dismantle the Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure that threatens the security of Israel and the lives of its citizens." he continued.

Meanwhile, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Nabila Massrali, condemned the firing of rockets from southern Lebanon into northern Israel and occupying the Golan Heights, saying the EU was following developments, including Israel's response.

"It is imperative for all parties to exercise complete restraint and work towards a speedy resolution of the current tensions," Massrali said.

Far away in the Americas, Israel's ally, the United States through the State Department, condemned Hezbollah's rocket attacks, calling on the Lebanese government to immediately prevent such attacks and bring the area under its control.'

"We have made it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself," State Department Press Secretary Ned Price said, when asked at a news conference to comment on Israeli air strikes.