Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will face an “iron fist” if it attacks Israel again.
Speaking at a ceremony in Jerusalem today (Tuesday, July 19th), Netanyahu also remarked that Israel’s monthlong 2006 summer war with Hezbollah was justified to protect Israel from a radical Islamic threat on its doorstep. He continued by saying that anyone who dares attack Israel again would face a “forceful response.” The ceremony marked 10 years since the war with the Iran-backed group.
The 2006 conflict killed about 1,200 Lebanese (including hundreds of civilians) and about 160 Israelis (mostly soldiers). Israeli airstrikes heavily damaged Lebanon’s infrastructure, while Hezbollah fired several thousand rockets into Israel.
Netanyahu claims that Hezbollah’s improved missile arsenal can now strike virtually anywhere in the country and that the previous war re-established Israeli deterrence and provided a decade of quiet.
