Israel Expands Strikes on Hezbollah as Netanyahu Vows to ‘Intensify the Blows’

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah on Monday, striking more than 70 targets across Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to increase pressure on the Iranian-backed terror group following a sharp rise in drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said it used approximately 85 munitions in strikes throughout the day, targeting Hezbollah command centers, weapons storage sites, and other military infrastructure. Around 10 of the targets were located in the Tyre area, while additional strikes were carried out in the Beqaa Valley and other parts of southern Lebanon.

The IDF said the targeted sites were used by Hezbollah to advance attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The military also reported that the Israeli Air Force struck Hezbollah operatives riding motorcycles near areas where Israeli troops are operating in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu, speaking in a video statement, said Israel is already “at war with Hezbollah” and warned that the campaign will grow more forceful.

“We are not taking our foot off the gas,” Netanyahu said, adding that he had instructed the military to “press the pedal even harder.” He said Israeli forces have killed more than 600 Hezbollah operatives in recent weeks and vowed that Israel would strike the terror group “decisively.”

The escalation comes amid a surge in Hezbollah drone attacks, including the use of fiber-guided unmanned aerial vehicles. Netanyahu said a special Israeli team is working to counter the drone threat.

A senior U.S. official signaled that Washington could support a larger Israeli operation, saying Hezbollah has ignored repeated demands to stop attacking Israel. The official told The Times of Israel that Hezbollah has fired more than 1,000 drones and more than 700 rockets at Israel over the past eight days, apparently in an effort to derail talks between Israel and Lebanon.

“This is not the Biden administration,” the official said, according to the report, adding that Israel will not be expected to “passively absorb attacks on its forces and civilians.”

Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo, commander of the IDF Northern Command, said Israeli forces are operating “deep inside Lebanese territory” and that the northern front must be understood plainly.

“On the Lebanese front, the Northern Command is at war,” Milo said, warning that Israel “will not tolerate fire on the home front.” His remarks followed Hezbollah drone strikes that hit a home in Metula and damaged a school bus stop in Shomera. No injuries were reported.

For Israel’s northern communities, the latest escalation underscores a painful reality: Hezbollah’s war is not only being fought against soldiers in the field, but against families, schools, homes, and border towns that have endured months of danger. Netanyahu praised residents of northern Israel for their resilience and said the government’s responsibility is to restore security.

The conflict also carries wider regional significance. Hezbollah, armed and financed by Iran, has long functioned as Tehran’s forward base on Israel’s northern border. Israeli officials increasingly argue that any lasting peace arrangement in Lebanon must weaken Hezbollah’s military grip and allow the Lebanese people a path toward reconstruction without the terror group’s veto.

A U.S.-backed ceasefire effort has been under strain for weeks, with officials accusing Hezbollah of undermining talks and escalating attacks. The Associated Press reported that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets have intensified as Netanyahu vows to “increase the blows,” while the U.S. has blamed Hezbollah’s continued aggression for destabilizing ceasefire efforts.

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