TEL AVIV, September 23. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israelis that the country is facing "difficult days" as the Israeli Air Force pounds Hezbollah sites in Lebanon.
"We have difficult days ahead of us. What I am asking of you, the citizens of Israel, is two things: First, to follow the instructions of the Homefront Command, as that saves lives. Second, to be steadfast, responsible and determined," he said in a video posted to X.
Shortly before, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that the military's instructions to people in the rear remain unchanged for the time being. But he urged people to remain vigilant and follow the instructions of the military. On September 21, the IDF announced a special state of emergency in Haifa and areas north of it. Mass gatherings were prohibited, and going to classes and work is allowed only in places where shelters are available.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon escalated after a series of wireless device explosions rocked the Arab republic on September 17 and 18. The Lebanese Health Ministry said as many as 70 people were killed in the deadly attacks, with 770 people remaining at hospitals with wounds, including 152 in intensive care. Hezbollah blamed the blasts on Israel, as its leader Hassan Nasrallah called them "a declaration of war."
Though the Jewish state has not yet commented on the attacks directly, it said it was intensifying its military operations in the northern direction. Afterward, the Israeli Air Force started extensive strikes on border areas in southern Lebanon. On September 20, Israel attacked Beirut where it eliminated 16 Hezbollah military commanders. The Israeli authorities say the intensified attacks on Lebanon aim to return some 80,000 residents to their homes in northern Israel after they had to be evacuated amid continued shelling by Hezbollah. The bombardments have been ongoing since October 8, 2023, when the group first attacked Israel as they supported Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel.