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World
Israel announces plans to escalate military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory.
On Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson Ivri Dvirin stated in a recorded message that Israel intends to increase its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon as a response to the ballistic missile attacks launched by Iran.
Dvirin explained that Israel carried out an assault in the southern suburbs of Beirut following Hezbollah's ongoing attacks on residential areas in northern Israel, noting that the southern Beirut suburbs are currently under heavy Israeli bombardment.
He added that the Israeli army will continue its operations across Lebanon and intensify its efforts against the Hezbollah organization, which he described as a terrorist group.
Furthermore, Dvirin mentioned that Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is conducting an assessment of the situation with the General Staff Forum and has approved plans to sustain the military operations.
Concluding his remarks, Dvirin said that Israel is prepared for the possibility of further attacks against it, emphasizing that while Israel's defense systems are excellent, they do not offer complete protection.
On Sunday evening, Iran launched a total of 11 ballistic missiles toward Israel, according to official Israeli assessments.
The missile assault occurred in at least three waves, with the Israeli military reporting the interception of four missiles during the first wave, followed by the detection of second and third waves.
Sources cited by CNN from Israel indicated that Tel Aviv intends to respond "forcefully" to the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Hebrew newspaper Maariv quoted an Israeli source stating that the government has been in contact with the administration of President Donald Trump to obtain approval for targeting Iranian energy facilities.
In a related report, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an Israeli official who declared that Iran "can forget the policy of containment," affirming that Israel's response will be "severe and decisive."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented, stating, "Tehran must burn tonight."
