Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message on Sunday that he had ordered the army to strengthen and expand its hold on Lebanese areas controlled by Hezbollah.
JERUSALEM, May 31 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message on Sunday that he had ordered the army to strengthen and expand its grip on Lebanese areas controlled by Hezbollah.
This instruction follows the capture by Israeli forces of the Beaufort Ridge, including the strategic fortress located at its summit, in southern Lebanon, an area located beyond the “security zone” that Israel has maintained since the ceasefire took effect. mid-April.
Mr Netanyahu said that after giving the order to expand their operation into Lebanon, Israeli forces crossed the Litani River and captured key positions, including the Beaufort.
He added that the current objective was to consolidate control over these seized positions, calling the capture of Beaufort a “decisive step and a major turning point in the policy we are leading.”
The Israeli prime minister said that since the start of the multi-front conflict in October 2023, Israel had killed 8,000 Hezbollah militants, including 700 in the last month alone.â–
