Hours after Israeli strikes killed nearly 500 people in Lebanon, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people, urging them not to become “human shields” for Hezbollah.
Netanyahu said that Israel’s war is with Hezbollah, not the Lebanese population, accusing the forces of hiding missiles in civilian homes. He stressed that these weapons are aimed at Israeli cities and must be destroyed to protect Israeli citizens. “Israel’s war is not with you, it’s with Hezbollah. They’ve placed rockets in your homes, targeting our cities,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
He urged the Lebanese people to take Israeli warnings seriously and evacuate dangerous areas, advising them not to risk their lives for Hezbollah’s cause. “Please, get out of harm’s way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes,” Netanyahu added.
The strikes have shifted the conflict from Israel’s southern border with Gaza to its northern front with Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets in support of Hamas. Israel’s operation, named “Operation Northern Arrows,” hit southern and eastern Lebanon, including a targeted strike in Beirut.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hezbollah, reported 492 deaths by Monday night, including 35 children and 58 women, along with 1,645 wounded. Thousands of families have been displaced.
The escalating violence has drawn condemnation from Arab states and global powers, urging both sides to step back from the brink of all-out war.
