Beirut, Lebanon – Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Wednesday that his Iran-backed group would hit new targets in Israel if more civilians are killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
The Lebanese movement has exchanged almost daily fire with Israeli troops in support of its ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.
“If the enemy continues to target civilians as it has done in recent days, then this will push us to target localities that we have not targeted until now,” Nasrallah said.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli strikes in the south killed five people, including three Syrian children, on Tuesday.
In response, Hezbollah said it launched rounds of Katyusha rockets at northern Israel.
The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, described as “horrific” the killing of the children, who were reportedly playing in front of their home at the time of the strike.
Nasrallah warned Israel of the consequences of any invasion of Lebanon, saying Israel would be left without any tanks if a full-blown conflict erupted.
The Israeli military said last month that “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated”.
Nasrallah, speaking during Shiite Muslim Ashura commemorations, also pledged to assist thousands of Lebanese whose homes have been destroyed by cross-border fire.
“We assure residents whose homes have been completely or partially demolished that we will work with you, hand in hand… we will rebuild our homes,” he said.
Since October, the cross-border violence has killed 511 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 104 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
On the Israeli side, 17 soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, according to authorities.
The violence, largely restricted to the border area, has raised fears of all-out conflict between the foes, who last went to war in the summer of 2006.