Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a direct appeal to the people of Lebanon not to allow Hezbollah to endanger their country following massive airstrikes by Israeli forces.
“I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel’s war is not with you. It is with Hezbollah,” he said, according to his office. “For too long, Hezbollah has used you as human shields,” he said.
Netanyahu said Hezbollah had hidden its rockets aimed at Israeli cities in private living rooms. “To defend our people from Hezbollah attacks, we need to bring out these weapons,” the prime minister said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had called on the Lebanese people to seek safety, he said. Netanyahu appealed to the Lebanese people to take these warnings seriously.
“Don’t let Hezbollah endanger your life and the lives of your loved ones. Don’t let Hezbollah endanger Lebanon. Please get out of the danger zone now,” he said. Once the IDF operation was over, residents could return to their homes, he said.
More than 270 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon on Monday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
