Israeli Defense Minister Says Leader of Hezbollah Group Is a Target to Be Eliminated

Israeli Defense Minister Katz. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem is now a "target to be eliminated" after the militant group fired at Israel.

Katz's statement came following Iranian drone and missile attacks on Israel, following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

"The terrorist organization Hezbollah will pay dearly for firing at Israel, and Naim Qassem, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, who decided on the firing under pressure from Iran, from now on, he is a marked target to be eliminated," Katz tweeted on X as quoted by Al Arabiya (2/3).

He said anyone who "follows the path" of Iran's former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated by Israel on Saturday, "will soon find himself with him in the depths of hell along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil."

Previously, 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 Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah on Monday stepped down in the latest conflict in the Middle East by attacking Israel, following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatolllah Ali Khamenei.

"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."

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.

Separately, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the battle against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which began Monday morning, could last "days" more.

"We have launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah," 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.

"We must be ready for battles for several days, even many days," he said.