Israel’s defense minister said Thursday that Hezbollah “will pay an increasing price” as Israel seeks to make conditions near its border with Lebanon safe enough for residents to return to their homes.
Yoav Gallant’s comments came as Israel and Hezbollah exchanged strikes and the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed retaliation against Israel for a mass bombing attack in Lebanon.
“Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price,” said Gallant. “The sequence of our military actions will continue.”
Nasrallah said on Thursday this week’s deadly attack on the Iran-backed group’s communications devices was a “severe blow” that crossed a “red line.”
He added group is investigating how the two-day attack, which killed more than 30, wounded thousands and was widely believed to be carried out by Israel.
“Yes, we were subjected to a huge and severe blow,” he said. “The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines.”
As usual, Nasrallah spoke by video from an undisclosed location. Hezbollah typically convenes a rally for supporters to watch his speeches on a big screen, but this time they did not.
