JERUSALEM, Israel – Tensions in northern Israel soared after a fierce Hezbollah rocket attack and Israeli counter-strikes, as talks for the release of the Hamas-held hostages have broken down again.
Israel struck heavily at Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon after a Hezbollah rocket barrage killed a female Israeli soldier and wounded nine others on Wednesday. Reports from Lebanon say 16 were killed there.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi declared, “We are not finishing this without returning the (Israeli) residents to Metulla and all the communities of the north with a very high level of security.”
Some 80,000 Israelis were evacuated from their homes in the north four months ago. Halevi toured the northern area and announced Israel is preparing itself for war in the north.
“In the end, we will push back all the (Hezbollah) capabilities, it will be much quieter here, there will be much more stability here and then we will say to the residents ‘you can return,'” Halevi insisted.
U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller indicated one of the primary U.S. objectives is preventing the spread of the war in Gaza to the Lebanese border.
” And we continue to believe that there is a diplomatic path
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN