Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah pledged on Friday (Feb 16) to make Israel pay “with blood” for the civilians who were killed in Lebanon earlier this week as he warned that the group possesses missiles which can reach any place in Israel.
“The enemy will pay with blood” for every child and woman who lost their lives during a cross-border fire in Lebanon, said Nasrallah, in a televised address.
He further said that his Iran-backed movement has “precision-guided missiles that can reach… Eilat”, on the Red Sea coast of Israel, beyond the northern towns which are generally targeted in retaliatory strikes.
Hezbollah, which is an ally of Hamas, has been exchanging fires with its arch-foe of Israel since the Israel-Hamas started on October 7.
February 14 turned out as the bloodiest day for Lebanon when the Israeli military claimed that they had killed Hezbollah commander Ali al-Debs along with his deputy and another fighter in Nabatiyeh.
In the strikes, 10 civilians were also killed as well as two other Hezbollah fighters, as per an AFP tally. Nasrallah said that civilians were killed with the aim of “putting pressure” on Hezbollah to launch attacks on Israel, however, they emphasised that the group will intensify its ongoing cross-border firing.
“The response to the massacre must be to pursue the resistance (against Israel)” and Hezbollah will not just strike “(military) positions… and spying equipment” as it has carried out before, Nasrallah said.
The Israeli army said that the strikes were carried out on Feb 14 after a soldier lost his life in a rocket fired from Lebanon. In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets which were fired at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona and said that this was their “first response” to the deadly Israeli strikes.
UN reiterates ‘rules of war: protect civilians’
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) appealed “intensified” diplomatic efforts “to restore stability and safeguard the safety of civilians” after the bloodshed on Wednesday (Feb 14).
Watch: Israel-Hamas War: Hezbollah says Israel will pay ‘in blood’ for killing civilians
“The devastation, loss of life and injuries witnessed are deeply concerning,” said UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti, appealing “all parties involved to halt hostilities immediately to prevent further escalation”.
UN humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza said that “the rules of war are clear: parties must protect civilians”.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the deadly Israeli strikes and vowed to lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council.
(With inputs from agencies)
