Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stark warning to Hezbollah, that if it opens a second war front Israel will inflict “unimaginable devastation upon Lebanon”.
Mr Netanyahu said he could not tell his forces “right now if Hezbollah will decide to enter the war fully” but added that the war with Hamas was “do or die”.
The leader of the Jewish state’s message comes amid concerns that the Middle East may soon be engulfed in a region-wide war.
The 74-year-old added, referencing Israel’s 2006 conflict with Lebanon: “If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will long for the Second Lebanon War”.
“It will be making the mistake of its life. We will strike it with strength that it cannot even imagine and the significance to it and to the country of Lebanon will be devastating.”
Netanyahu told Israeli soldiers: “I know that you lost friends, and it’s a very difficult thing, but we are in the fight of our life, a fight for our home. That’s not an exaggeration, it’s not an overstatement, that’s this war. It is kill or be killed, and they need to be killed.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned last night that the brutal fighting risked opening up a “contagion of conflict”.
The PM, who visited Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for talks with key regional players this week, said the leaders agreed “we need to do everything possible” to prevent the spread of the war.
He said his two-day visit to the region demonstrated “that the UK stands in solidarity with them against terrorism” and that “there can be no justification” for the atrocities committed by Hamas.
“I wanted to sit down with other leaders and talk face to face. Because in times of tension and division, it’s more important than ever to accelerate diplomatic efforts,” he added.
