Israel approaching ‘moment of an all-out war’ against Hezbollah, Lebanon: Israeli FM

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel was approaching an all-out war against Hezbollah and Lebanon after a rocket attack on a football ground in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed eleven people on Saturday, Axios reported.

“The Hezbollah attack today crossed all red lines, and the response will be accordingly. We are approaching the moment of an all-out war against Hezbollah and Lebanon,” Katz told Axios.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price.

“Hezbollah will pay a heavy price, the kind it has thus far not paid,” Netanyahu told the leader of the Druze community in Israel in a phone call, according to a statement from his office.

The Iran-backed Lebanese group has denied any role in the attack.

The Israeli military said it “will prepare a response” against Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah after the rocket attack in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

“We will prepare for a response against Hezbollah... we will act,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters, adding Saturday’s rocket fire was the “deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since October 7” when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel sparking war in Gaza.

Lebanon condemns attack

The Lebanese government condemned “all acts of violence and aggression against civilians,” after Israeli authorities reported 10 killed in the annexed Golan Heights by rocket fire they blamed on Hezbollah.

“Targeting civilians is a flagrant violation of international law and goes against the principles of humanity,” a government statement said, calling “for an immediate cessation of hostilities” after months of cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.