Netanyahu Says Israel May Attack Beirut After Hezbollah Rocket Attack on North Israel

Israeli officials told Israel’s Channel 13 that Israel may "attack Beirut" in the coming days after Hezbollah claimed a rocket attack on north Israel.

“Escalation Looms Over Lebanese-Israeli Tensions Despite Diplomatic Efforts Recent rocket interceptions and strikes between Israel and Hezbollah test a U”

Devdiscourse

Channel 14 reported that "If any violation occurs by Hezbollah, the Israeli army will be able to attack throughout Lebanon, including Beirut," as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold special security consultations in the evening.

Devdiscourse

The same reporting said an Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah member in Khalde near Beirut, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter accused Hezbollah of firing rockets at Kiryat Shmona, saying "this is Hezbollah's idea of a ceasefire."

Despite the threats, the article said Israeli and Lebanese diplomats held a second day of direct talks in Washington as part of the fourth round of direct negotiations.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on Beirut would trigger escalation, saying, "Any attack on Beirut will have serious consequences and will lead to the full resumption of the war."

Araghchi added that "If Israeli aggression against Beirut continues, our armed forces are fully prepared to resume the war and target objectives inside Israel," while saying Iran and its armed forces remain on alert.

L'Express

The same report said a fourth round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington was due to continue later on Wednesday after an initial meeting on Tuesday.

It also said the Health Ministry recorded 48 additional deaths and 97 injuries in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours, and that Trump said he wanted to "separate" talks on Lebanon from those on Iran.

Israel intensified drone strikes on south Lebanon on Wednesday, reaching as far as Khalde on the highway between Saida and Beirut, while ordering evacuations in the Saida district and Nabatieh district.

The Lebanese Army described an Israeli air strike on a Lebanese Army vehicle traveling on the Deir Zahrani road in the Nabatieh district as a deliberate attack that wounded an officer and a soldier, and it condemned what it called the 'systematic targeting' of army personnel, vehicles, and positions.

In the same account, Israeli drone strikes killed three rescuers in Shahour (Sour), after an initial strike killed an ambulance worker and a second strike killed two colleagues who rushed to the scene.

The report said Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated there was 'no cease-fire' in southern Lebanon, and it cited Health Ministry figures that Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,516 people and wounded 10,674 others since the resumption of the war on March 2.