Lebanon’s Hizbullah vowed a massive retribution against Israel for “flagrant violation of sovereignty” during the Jewish state’s deadly air strike in south Lebanon, local media reported on Monday.
“The aggression of the Zionist enemy targeting border regions of the Republic has become a disturbing escalation and a flagrant violation of sovereignty and international laws and conventions,” read a statement published on Al-Manar, Hizbullah’s television channel.
Four civilians, including a child, and three militant commanders were among the reported seven killed in Israeli airstrikes Sunday night. The deadliest of five Israeli strikes hit a car near the Lebanese-Syrian border, Hizbullah, which holds significant sway in Lebanon, said.
Israeli media reported that the strikes were a response to Hizbullah’s launching an anti-tank missile that hit a military bus in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Sunday. One Israeli soldier died and another was badly wounded in the attack.
Sunday night’s retaliatory strikes were the most intense on Lebanon since the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah, which left more than 1,000 people dead, mostly Lebanese civilians.
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) statement condemned the incident, stressing the importance of “full respect for Lebanese sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.”
Israel retains UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, stipulates no armed groups in southern Lebanon.
But Hizbullah, a political party and militant group, is still active in the south, posing a challenge to the Lebanese state’s authority.
Hizbullah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed to ” بنية عظيمة ” (strive for a great retaliation), stating that “the enemy wants to do a test for us, but we will surprise them with a great revenge.” His speech was aired on Al-Manar.
Israel, so far, has not responded to Hizbullah’s threat, though it usually remains silent on such comments. The Israeli military continues to operating in a high state of alert along the Lebanon border.
Credit: Tribunnews.com
