Netanyahu says Israel 'landed series of blows on Hezbollah'; vows zero tolerance for attacks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that ‘Israel had landed a series of blows on Hezbollah', following a night of intense cross-border fire and attacks in Lebanon this week.
The prime minister's remarks came in the wake of heightened tensions and clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
"In recent days, we have landed a series of blows on Hezbollah that it could have never imagined.If Hezbollah did not get the message, I assure you it will get the message," Netanyahu said in a statement, according to news agency AFP.
"No country can tolerate attacks on its citizens, attacks on its cities. And we, the State of Israel, will not tolerate it either," he added, pledging to restore northern Israeli residents displaced by nearly a year of conflict to their homes.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that the Israeli military would continue in pursuing their objectives in the ongoing conflict, which now explicitly include enabling the residents of the northern region to return to their homes safely.
Prior to the broadening of the war aims, the focus was on defeating Hamas and ensuring the safe return of hostages who were captured during the Gaza war, which was initiated by an attack on October 7.
Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 led to the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official data.
Of the 251 hostages taken by militants, 97 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military reporting that 33 of them are dead.
According to a statement released by his office, Gallant said, "Hezbollah has begun experiencing the impact" of Israel's military capabilities, "and they sense that they are being pursued".
He further said that the military operations "will continue until we reach a point where we may ensure the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes.”
"This is our goal, this is our mission, and we will employ the means necessary to achieve it,” he added.
The Israeli military said that over the course of the night and into the early hours of Sunday, their territory was targeted by more than 150 rockets, missiles, and drones, with the majority originating from Lebanon.
In response to a rocket attack, the Israeli army launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon "to prevent a larger-scale attack," according to spokesperson Nadav Shoshani.