Netanyahu warns: ‘What happened today isn't the end of the story,’ Israel landed ‘crushing blows’ against Hezbollah

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a threatening message to Israel’s enemies at the start of a government meeting on Sunday afternoon, hours after the IDF thwarted a planned large-scale assault on Israel by striking dozens of rocket launch sites of Hezbollah.

“What happened today is not the end of the story. Early this morning, Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones. We directed the IDF to carry out an intense pre-emptive attack to remove the threat,” Netanyahu said.

“The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, all of which were designed to attack our citizens and our forces in the Galilee. Also, the IDF intercepted all of the drones that Hezbollah launched at a strategic target in the center of the country.”

“We are striking Hezbollah with surprising crushing blows. Three weeks ago, we eliminated its Chief-of-Staff and today we thwarted its attack plan.

“Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran need to know that this is an additional step in changing the situation in the north, and returning our residents securely to their homes. And I reiterate – this is not the end of the story,” Netanyahu emphasized.

The meeting was held in the IDF’s Tel Aviv headquarters, the Kirya, which includes a large underground high-security bunker called the bor in Hebrew, or “the pit.”

בשל המצב הביטחוני, פיקוד העורף קבע את ההנחיות הבאות מיום ראשון, 25 באוגוסט 2024, בשעה 12:30 ועד ליום חמישי, 29 באוגוסט 2024, בשעה 18:00: ההנחיות המלאות מפורטות בקישור הבא: https://t.co/S1h1hksbPv pic.twitter.com/wXXlZIuS8B

— פיקוד העורף (@PikudHaoref1) August 25, 2024

This comes despite IDF Home Front Command having lifted most of the restrictions it issued in the morning during Israeli strikes against Hezbollah and indicated that Israel is not expecting further attacks in the coming hours.

From the Tel Aviv area and northward, all restrictions were canceled, while workplaces and schools in communities along the Lebanon border and the Golan Heights were allowed to resume regular activities in locations where a bunker or a shelter is nearby.

Netanyahu's remarks were part of a broader statement released by a government member following his initial comments at the Security Cabinet meeting in the morning.

Israeli media reported that the government ordered all cabinet ministers to refrain from interviews or commenting on the strikes against Hezbollah. The only other official comments regarding Sunday's activities were made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

Gallant stated he had conducted a joint situation assessment with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

“We will use all the means at our disposal to defend Israel. We discussed the importance of avoiding regional escalation and working together to ensure Israel’s defense as well as regional stability,” Gallant wrote on 𝕏.

In addition, Israeli media reported that the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, did not cancel his planned visit to Israel following Sunday's escalation.

After visiting Jordan and Egypt, Brown is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday evening and will meet with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Herzi Halevi and Gallant.

Katz said he had sent direct messages to dozens of nations, calling on them to support Israel “against the Iranian axis of evil and its proxies, led by Hezbollah.”

“Israel is confronting the axis of evil led by Iran, which has the explicit aim of destroying Israel. We do not seek a full-scale war - but we will do whatever it takes to protect our citizens,” Katz wrote on his 𝕏 account while tagging the foreign ministers of the U.S., the UK, Germany, Japan, Canada, France and Italy.