Netanyahu asserts that Israel is "committed to doing everything necessary to safeguard our country."

 Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is “determined to do everything to protect our country” during a meeting with his security cabinet on Sunday. The prime minister emphasized a straightforward principle: “whoever hurts us — we hurt him.”

Netanyahu explained that Israeli forces had detected Hezbollah’s preparations to attack Israel that morning. Along with the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff, he instructed the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) to take proactive measures to neutralize the threat. He added that the IDF had since been “acting vigorously to thwart the threats” and had “destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the north of the country.”

Prior to launching its attack on Hezbollah, Israel had been preparing for possible retaliatory strikes from the Iran-backed militant group following the death of one of its top commanders. Both Hezbollah and Iran had been threatening retaliation after a series of deaths, including Hezbollah’s senior military commander Fu’ad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike and Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari assured that the military was prepared for any potential attacks from Hezbollah or Iran. “We take our enemies’ threats seriously and we’ve been ready for a long period,” Hagari said. “We’re highly prepared both offensively and defensively. Any threat to the citizens of Israel will be addressed, and we will update the public immediately on any developments.”

When asked about situational assessments suggesting an imminent Hezbollah attack, Hagari did not provide specifics on the timing or details.