Slain Hezbollah Commanders Were Planning October 7-style Attack, Claims Herzog

New Delhi: The Hezbollah commanders killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday were reportedly meeting to plan an attack similar to the October 7 assault by Hamas, President Isaac Herzog claimed in an interview. Speaking to Sky News, Herzog said, “Israel does not want to get into a war with Lebanon, but Lebanon has been hijacked by a terror organization which is also a political party in Lebanon called Hezbollah.”

He further added, “All of these leaders were meeting together in order to launch the same horrific, horrendous attack that we had on October 7 by Hamas, by burning Israelis, butchering them, raping their women, abducting and taking hostage old people and young, and little babies – so this is exactly the same plan that they've been planning for years under the empire of evil of Iran. So we are fighting, actually the war for the entire Free World.”

What Happened on Friday, October 20?

In Friday's attack, Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's operations unit and one of the terrorist group's top military commanders, was killed. The Israeli Air Force targeted dozens of Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon over the weekend, including “rocket launchers and military structures in retaliation for Hezbollah’s rocket assaults on the Jezreel Valley and Haifa Bay area.

These attacks caused “heavy damage in Kiryat Bialik, Moshav Moreshet, and Beit She'arim.

Approximately 150 rockets, drones, and cruise missiles were reportedly launched at Israel between Saturday night and Sunday morning most of which were intercepted.

Later on Sunday, alarms sounded in Kiryat Shmona and the Upper Galilee due to a suspected aircraft infiltration.

Netanyahu Issues Warning

In a video message on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a clear warning to Hezbollah, stating that Israel had inflicted a series of unexpected blows on the group and promising further actions if needed. He said, “If they didn’t get the message, I assure you—they will,” following overnight rocket attacks on northern Israel and retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu emphasized, “We will take whatever action is necessary to restore security and to bring our people safely back to their homes.”