Hezbollah says Israel ‘will pay’ after Lebanon strikes kill civilians

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FILE PHOTO: Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, leaves the parliament after they failed to elect a head of state to fill the vacant presidency, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said Israel would face reprisal for the two strikes on southern Lebanon.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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BEIRUT - Senior Hezbollah official and member of Parliament Hassan Fadlallah said on Feb 15 that

Israel would face reprisal after two sets of strikes on southern Lebanon

the previous day killed 10 civilians, half of them children.

“The enemy (Israel) will pay the price for these crimes,” Mr Fadlallah told Reuters when asked about the powerful armed group’s reaction to the deadliest day for civilians in Lebanon since hostilities began along its southern border.

Hezbollah has been trading fire for more than four months with the Israeli military in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out an attack on Israel on Oct 7 that was met with an Israeli land, air and sea assault on Gaza.

Hezbollah says its rockets are also deterring Israel from a broader offensive on Lebanon.

The Israeli strikes on Feb 14 came after shelling onto a military base in northern Israel killed one soldier. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for that attack.

Mr Fadlallah said Hezbollah had a “legitimate right to defend its people and will not flinch in doing what is needed to protect it”, and insisted that Israel halt its war on Gaza.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati also instructed foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib to register a new complaint at the United Nations Security Council over the strikes that caused Feb 14’s casualties. REUTERS

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