Says Lebanon Will Get The Consequences If War Breaks Out, Israeli President: Hezbollah Is Playing With Fire

Illustration of Israel's border with Lebanon. (Wikimedia Commons/Johnny Zoo)

JAKARTA - President Isaac Herzog said Lebanon cannot say it is innocent if Israel experiences attacks from the militant group Hezbollah.

Clashes on the Lebanon-Israel border have recently increased rapidly, since the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out attacks on Israeli territory on October 7.

"Obviously, Lebanon will suffer the consequences if there is a war with Hezbollah," said President Herzog, as reported by CNN, October 24.

"Hezbollah is playing with fire," he said.

Nevertheless, President Herzog said Israel was not interested in confrontation on his country's northern border, referring to its territorial border with Lebanon.

"We don't want any confrontation on our northern border or with anyone," Herzog said.

As previously reported, the Israeli PM on Sunday warned Hezbollah not to get involved in the war, because that would be a mistake and the impact would be very detrimental for Lebanon.

"If Hezbollah decides to join the war, it will be a long Second Lebanon War," said PM Netanyahu, according to his office, referring to Israel's war with Lebanon in 2006.

"They will make the mistake of their lives. We will attack them with a force they cannot even imagine and the impact on them and the Lebanese state will be devastating," stressed PM Netanyahu.

However, a spokesperson for the Israeli government said it was not interested in opening a fighting front on the border with Lebanon.

"Israel's position remains unchanged. Israel is not interested in a war on two fronts. Our main goal remains the defeat and disarmament of Hamas," said PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government spokesman, Eylon Levy.

Yesterday, the Israeli military (IDF) launched air strikes on the positions of Hezbollah militants who were said to be planning to carry out attacks on Israeli territory.

The IDF said the attack carried out on Hezbollah group positions in southern Lebanon succeeded in destroying Hezbollah's anti-tank missile launching facilities.

"The group allegedly planned to launch missiles near the border town of Shlomi" according to the IDF.

Last week, IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus warned that Hezbollah could drag Lebanon into war by launching missiles into Israeli territory.

"What Hezbollah is doing now is dragging Lebanon into a conflict that is none of its business, and of course will not be profitable," said Lt. Col. Conricus.

Lt. Col. Conricus added that Hezbollah had also tried to infiltrate Israel, but this attempt was thwarted by the IDF.