JAKARTA - The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir admitted that the battle against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah could last for days.
Lieutenant General Zamir's comments came as Hezbollah stepped into the battlefield by attacking Israeli territory, fulfilling his statement following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah," Lieutenant General Zamir said in a video shared by the military on Monday, hours after a rocket attack claimed by Hezbollah triggered a wave of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as reported by Al Arabiya and AFP (2/3).
"We have to prepare for battles for several days, even many days," he continued.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli general earlier said the military would intensify its attacks on Lebanon.
"Hezbollah chose the Iranian regime over the Lebanese State and started an attack on our civilians, they will pay dearly," said Israeli military Northern Command chief Major General Rafi Milo.
"The attacks continue, their intensity will increase," he said as quoted in a military statement.
Previously, the Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah stepped down in the latest conflict in the Middle East by attacking Israel, following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatolllah Ali Khamenei.
Israel and the United States launched an attack on the capital Tehran and a number of cities in Iran on Saturday.
Quoted from ABC, the United States dubbed the operation "Operation Epic Fury" while Israel called it "Operation Roaring Lion."
Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in an Israeli and US attack on the capital Tehran and a number of other cities in Iran on Saturday.
"The leadership of the resistance has always stressed that the continuation of Israeli attacks and the killing of our leaders, youth, and people gives us the right to defend ourselves and retaliate at the right time and place," the group said in a statement, launching Al Arabiya and Reuters.
Hezbollah said it attacked Israel "in retaliation for the pure blood" of Ali Khamenei, "to defend Lebanon and its people, and in response to Israel's repeated attacks."
The missile launched from Lebanon caused sirens to sound in several areas in northern Israel, the first launch from Lebanese territory since the start of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said rocket attacks on Israel hurt his government's efforts to save Lebanon from regional war.
"The launch of missiles from Lebanese territory this morning targets all efforts and efforts made by the Lebanese state to keep Lebanon away from the dangerous military confrontation taking place in this region," President Aoun said in a statement.
The Israeli military quickly launched an attack on Hezbollah targets across the country, including in the southern outskirts of Beirut.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Ministry of Health on Monday said Israeli attacks in Lebanon had killed at least 31 people and injured 149.
The ministry said in a statement, "the Israeli enemy's attacks" on the southern outskirts of Beirut and southern Lebanon "have resulted, according to preliminary calculations, in the death of 31 civilians and the injury of 149 civilians."
Last week, Hezbollah said the group would not intervene militarily if there was a limited US attack on Iran, but would consider any attack on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "red line."
"If there is a limited US attack on Iran, Hezbollah's position is not to intervene militarily," a Hezbollah official said on condition of anonymity to AFP as quoted by Al Arabiya.
However, the group stressed that if the United States tried to "provoke the fall of the Iranian regime or target the supreme leader, Hezbollah would intervene," he added.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
