Netanyahu vows ‘merciless’ retaliation against Hezbollah

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to hit Hezbollah without mercy after a deadly drone strike on an Israeli military base and said retaliation would extend to targets in Beirut.

During a visit to the Golani training base, which was recently targeted in a drone attack south of Haifa, Netanyahu emphasized, “We will continue to mercilessly strike Hezbollah in all parts of Lebanon –- including Beirut. All this according to operational considerations. We have proven it recently and we will continue to prove it in the days to come.”

The Israeli army reported that four soldiers were killed and 58 others injured—seven of whom are in serious condition—following a drone attack by Hezbollah on the Golani military base near Haifa.

In a statement, Hezbollah claimed the drone attack on the Golani Brigade training base in Binyamina was conducted in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, asserting it aimed to defend Lebanon and respond to Israeli strikes on the Basta and Nuwayri neighborhoods in Beirut.

Death toll rises amid escalating attacks

Since October 8, 2023, the Israeli army has engaged in controlled confrontations with Hezbollah, conducting hundreds of airstrikes across southern Lebanese cities, as well as the Bekaa and Baalbek regions.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the death toll has reached 2,309, including 104 children and 194 women, with 10,782 reported injuries.

The ongoing bombardments have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon. As the migration continues from southern regions to Beirut and northern areas, the Lebanese government reported that over 430,000 displaced individuals have sought refuge in Syria.