Netanyahu Addresses Israeli and Lebanese People

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations Monday evening with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. During the meetings, he said "I would like to clarify Israel's policy to whoever does not yet understand. We are not waiting for the threat, we are pre-empting it – everywhere, in every sector, constantly. We are eliminating senior figures, terrorists, and missiles – and our arm is still extended. Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them all the more forcefully."

“I promised that we would change the security balance, the balance of forces in the north [by Lebanon] – this is exactly what we are doing. We are destroying thousands of missiles and rockets that are directed at Israel's cities and citizens,” he said.

To Israeli citizens, Netanyahu said, “We face complex times. Citizens of Israel, I ask of you two things: Follow the directives of Home Front Command, they save lives; and stand together with determination, responsibility, and – of course – patience. Together we will stand strong, together we will fight and with God's help, together we will win."

He also had some words for the Lebanese people, to whom he said "Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out these weapons. Starting this morning, the IDF has warned you to get out of harm's way. I urge you – to take this warning seriously. Don't let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Don't let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please, get out of harm's way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes."

The statement came as Israeli aircraft carried out over 300 strikes on Hezbollah targets all over Lebanon and Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets into the Galilee, as well as points further south.