JERUSALEM (AFP): Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (April 9) said Israel would keep hitting Iran-backed Hezbollah "wherever necessary", the day after deadly Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon.
"We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Netanyahu said on his personal X account.
"Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians -- we will strike them. We will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary, until we fully restore security to the residents of the north of Israel, he added.
Meanwhile, Israel's military said it was continuing ground operations in southern Lebanon, where troops have been fighting Hezbollah and holding positions since early March.
In a separate statement, it said it had struck overnight "two key crossings used by Hezbollah terrorists and commanders for movement from north to south of the Litani River in Lebanon to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and launchers".
It added that it had struck "approximately 10 weapons storage facilities, launchers, and command centres" belonging to the Lebanese armed group.
Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon on Wednesday (April 8), killing over 200 people and wounding over 1,000, the Lebanese health ministry said.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a video statement Thursday that "more than 200 terrorists were eliminated yesterday... bringing the number eliminated in this campaign to over 1,400".
"Hezbollah is pleading for a ceasefire, and its Iranian patrons are also applying pressure and issuing threats -- out of serious concern that Israel will crush Hezbollah," he said.
The Lebanese prime minister's office said Thursday would be "a national day of mourning for the martyrs and wounded of the Israeli attacks that targeted hundreds of innocent, defenceless civilians".
He ordered the closure of public administrations and the lowering of flags.
Hours later, Hezbollah said it had fired rockets towards Israel in response to what it called a violation of the US-Iran truce, with several rounds of sirens sounding in northern Israeli communities throughout the morning.
The US and Iran on Wednesday agreed to a two-week truce and negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that has killed thousands across the region and plunged the global economy into turmoil.
