Israel vowed on Friday to launch a large-scale military attack on Iran if its terrorist group Hezbollah joins the ongoing war, according to a report.
Nir Barkat, Israel’s Economy Minister, warned that he would “eliminate Hezbollah,” its proxy terrorist group in Lebanon, if it follows through on its threats to provide military support to Hamas.
“Iran’s plan is to attack Israel on all fronts. “If we find out that they intend to attack Israel, we will not only retaliate on those fronts, but we will go to the head of the snake, which is Iran,” Barkat told the Daily Mail.
“Iran’s ayatollahs are not going to sleep well at night, we are going to make sure they pay a high price if, God forbid, they open the northern front.”
Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces on the Lebanese border for the past two weeks in retaliation against the Israeli Defense Forces’ relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Lebanon-based militia and Iranian officials reportedly helped Hamas refine tactical and strategic plans for the October 7 surprise attack on Israel that left 1,300 dead and took nearly 200 hostages.
Hezbollah leaders proclaimed last week that they were “fully prepared” to join the fighting in support of Hamas.
Israel’s plan is to go to the “head of the snake” behind Hamas and Hezbollah, which is Iran, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.ZUMAPRESS.com
If Israel discovers that Hezbollah is fully opening a war front on Israel’s northern border, the IDF will launch a relentless charge against Iran, which Barkat says is synonymous with Hezbollah.
The terrorist group “will not escalate without Iran’s order,” he said, adding that there is a “global alignment of evil” between Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
“Lebanon and Hezbollah are going to pay a high price, similar to what Hamas is going to pay. But that is not enough,” Barkat said.
An Israeli soldier places a shell around a sales-propelled howitzer in northern Israel on October 18, near the border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been launching its own attacks against the country. Xinhua/Shutterstock
“The very clear message is that we are also going to go after Iran’s bosses. When will we do that? When we decide.
“Israel has a very clear message for our enemies. We are telling them: look at what is happening in Gaza: you will receive the same treatment if you attack us. “We are going to wipe you off the face of the Earth.”
The Biden administration has been urging Israeli leaders not to carry out any major strikes against Hezbollah, warning that the Middle Eastern country would struggle in a two-front war.
Smoke rises after the Israeli army bombed a Lebanese village near the Lebanon-Israel border on October 15, 2023.WAEL HAMZEH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
U.S. officials believe conflict against the powerful militia would lead to an intense escalation that would draw in both the United States and Iran.
The White House is already in talks about deploying its military force in case Hezbollah joins the war, insiders told Axios.
Barkat’s incendiary comments come as Israel ramps up its militia in anticipation of an expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with combat soldiers on the Gaza border on October 19, 2023 as military forces prepare for a ground division in Gaza.EyePress News/Shutterstock
A tank formation was placed on the southern border on Friday, where 300,000 soldiers are already camped.
Hamas has claimed it is holding some 203 Israeli hostages inside the network of tunnels it built beneath Gaza, which Barkat has promised will become the “world’s largest cemetery.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn