Netanyahu announces continuation of strikes on Lebanon, Hezbollah targets Altit base, US efforts to calm tensions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he will continue targeting the Lebanese Hezbollah. Earlier, Hezbollah announced targeting the Altit base, while Washington revealed the beginning of efforts to calm the situation between the two parties.

This comes after more than 560 people were killed in Israeli raids on Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday, while Hezbollah continues to launch rockets and drones at Israeli sites and settlements.

Netanyahu announced Tuesday that Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon. "We will continue to strike Hezbollah. I say to the Lebanese people: Our war is not against you, our war is against Hezbollah," he said in a video clip broadcast by his office.

Netanyahu met with senior leaders of the occupation army and intelligence at the Ministry of Defense headquarters to review the progress of the raids on Lebanon.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said, "Hezbollah today is not what it was a week ago, but the party's threats must be taken seriously."

In turn, the White House said that the US administration believes that the outbreak of a comprehensive war is not in Israel's interest.

Hezbollah targets Atlit base

Hezbollah announced in a statement on Tuesday evening that it had targeted the headquarters of the special naval mission unit “Shayetet 13” in the Israeli “Atlit” base with a squadron of attack drones.

The party said in the statement that “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their valiant and honorable resistance, and in defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters launched an air attack on Tuesday 09-24-2024 with a squadron of attack drones on the headquarters of the special naval missions unit “Shayetet 13” in the Atlit base, targeting the locations of its officers and soldiers and hitting their targets accurately.”

#Enemy_Media

Sirens sound again in Atlit, south of #Haifa, for fear of drone infiltration. #War_Media #Haifa_Under_Fire #South_Lebanon pic.twitter.com/i0NS38MurF

- Ahmad Hamieh🇦🇷🇦🇷 (@Ahmadhamieh313) September 24, 2024

It also announced the bombing of a military base near Safed (north) in two waves with ninety missiles, in the midst of an unprecedented escalation since the exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel began about a year ago.

The party said in two statements that it bombed the “Dado base,” which is the headquarters of the northern command near the city of Safed, which is about 15 kilometers from the border with Lebanon, in two waves, “with 50 missiles” and then “40 missiles,” in “defense of Lebanon and its people.”

The party announced in separate statements on Tuesday that it had targeted the Israeli Megiddo military airport three times, the Israeli Ramat David base and airport, the Amos base, and the explosives factory in the Zichron area. It also targeted the Kiryat Shmona settlement with rockets. It targeted the logistical warehouses of the 146th Division in the Naftali base with a salvo of rockets.

Today, Tuesday, according to previous statements, the party targeted the “Eliakim” camp, affiliated with the Israeli Northern Command, south of Haifa, with a salvo of Fadi 2 missiles. The main warehouses of the Northern Command in the Israeli “Nimra” base were also targeted with dozens of missiles.

According to previous statements, the party targeted the Israeli settlement of Rosh Pina with rocket salvos, the Israeli base of Shimshon with Fadi 3 missiles, and the settlements of Hagoshrim, Katzrin, and Gesher Haziv. It also targeted the Israeli base of Dado twice.

For its part, the Israeli army announced that Hezbollah fired about 300 rockets towards Israel on Tuesday. Its spokesman, Daniel Hagari, told reporters that Israel seeks to make the military campaign against Hezbollah as short as possible, but is prepared for it to be long.

Diplomatic efforts

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted a source in the US administration as saying that Washington is currently holding talks with officials in Lebanon and Israel in order to calm things down.

It also quoted an Israeli political source as saying that they do not rule out "the possibility of reaching a settlement, but there is nothing concrete at the moment."

In this context, Reuters quoted Israel's envoy to the United Nations, Danny Danon, as saying that Israel is open to ideas to calm the conflict in Lebanon.

"There are important forces trying to put forward ideas, and we are open to that. We do not want to launch any ground invasion anywhere, and we prefer a diplomatic solution," he said.

Danon said Israel does not want to invade Lebanon, after carrying out heavy, bloody raids on Monday and Tuesday.

"We had an experience in Lebanon in the past. We are not willing to start any ground invasion anywhere," he added.

(Agencies)