'Made Big Mistake': Israeli Military Warns Hezbollah After Retaliatory Strikes Across Lebanon

Tel Aviv: Israel’s military issued a fresh warning to Hezbollah on Monday (March 2) after carrying out retaliatory strikes across Lebanon, as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate sharply.

This comes after Hezbollah joined the conflict the previous night, a day after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the architect of the country's anti-US stance, was killed in the joint military operation, carried out by the United States and Israel.

In a video message posted on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had conducted retaliatory strikes on multiple Hezbollah targets and also declared it was prepared for further escalation. “Hezbollah just made a big mistake,” the caption read, as the military warned the Iran-backed group it was “entering a fight it cannot win.”

According to reports, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” for launching rockets into Israel overnight, calling it a deliberate decision to “start a campaign.” According to the IDF, dozens of targets were struck, including sites in Beirut.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said earlier today that Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem was now “marked for elimination” after the group fired projectiles in what it described as retaliation for Khamenei’s killing and “repeated Israeli aggressions.”

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for opening fire, saying it would fulfill its duties in “confronting aggression", marking the first time Hezbollah had fired on Israel since a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force in November 2024, ending more than a year of cross-border fighting.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 31 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes following the Hezbollah attack. The violence comes amid a rapidly widening regional conflict after joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the rocket launches from southern Lebanon, calling them an “irresponsible and suspicious act that endangers Lebanon's security."

Israeli officials further claimed that Muhammad Ra’ad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, had been killed in Beirut.

"As I am speaking right now, our aircrafts are striking targets in Iran, including Tehran. We are operating to eliminate any threats to our civilians, and will continue to do so," the IDF's statement added.

Also read: Hezbollah's Top Leader Mohammad Raad Reportedly Killed In Israeli Strikes In Lebanon