Netanyahu: Hezbollah tunnels built with direct support and funding from Iran regime
Netanyahu: Hezbollah tunnels built with direct support and funding from Iran regime
“Operation Northern Shield,” seeking to expose and neutralize terror tunnels dug by Hezbollah under the Israel-Lebanon border was more than a year-and-a-half in the making, the military said on Tuesday.
Operations were currently focused on neutralizing a tunnel breaching nearly 200 meters (656 feet) into Israeli territory near the northern town of Metula. The tunnel is 2 meters (6 feet) high and 2 meters wide, and runs 25 meters (82 feet) deep, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot and IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis held a special press conference at the IDF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv Tuesday, in which they elaborated on the operation.
“This morning, the IDF launched a campaign to expose and neutralize a network of cross-border terror tunnels built by Hezbollah with direct support and funding from Iran,” Netanyahu said.
“[The tunnels] were built with one purpose in mind—to attack and murder innocent Israeli men, women and children. This is a grave violation of Israel’s sovereignty and a gross violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. It is an unacceptable act of wanton aggression,” he said.
“The terror tunnel that was exposed today was built under a home in a civilian neighborhood in southern Lebanon,” continued the prime minister. “Now, this is just one more example of how Hezbollah is committing a double war crime. They target civilians while hiding behind civilians. And this must be condemned loudly and clearly by all nations that care about peace, freedom and human dignity.”
“I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Hezbollah is putting your lives in danger. They are sacrificing your well-being to serve the aggressive purposes of Iran. Israel holds the Lebanese government accountable for all terror activity emanating from Lebanon against Israel.
Read more: JNS
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