"Retaliated Against the One Who Killed the People"
"There Is No Place in the Middle East Where Israel Does Not Reach"
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, stated on the 28th (local time) regarding the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, that "Nasrallah was the center and core engine of Iran's 'axis of evil,'" and added, "Israel, the United States, France, and others have retaliated against the one who murdered many of their citizens."
According to local media, Prime Minister Netanyahu made these remarks in a video speech immediately after returning from the United States following the UN General Assembly schedule that afternoon. He also said, "The enemies who attacked us on October 7 last year must have thought Israel was heading toward destruction," and self-praised, "Now, having reached a historic turning point, these are great days."
In particular, Netanyahu sent a strong warning message to Iran, which supports Hezbollah, saying, "Whoever hits us, we will hit them." Targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, he stated, "There is no place in the Middle East where Israel's long arm does not reach, and today you already know how true this is," adding, "We have decided to continue attacking the enemy, bring our people home, and recover the hostages. We will not forget them even for a moment."
The Israeli Ministry of Defense reportedly held a military leadership meeting to check readiness in preparation for expanding offensives on the northern front. This is interpreted as showing a military pressure intention toward the remaining Hezbollah forces despite Nasrallah's death.
According to major foreign media, Khamenei issued a statement immediately after the news of Nasrallah's death, warning of retaliation by saying, "Nasrallah's blood will not end without revenge." He emphasized, "We will mobilize all means at our disposal to help those fighting against the evil (Israeli) regime," and "The fate of this region will be decided by the resistance forces led by Hezbollah."
As tensions in the Middle East escalate, Western countries have called for diplomatic solutions. The United States, Israel's closest ally, defended the killing of Nasrallah as an exercise of Israel's right to self-defense. U.S. President Joe Biden said, "Nasrallah and the terrorist organization Hezbollah he led are responsible for killing hundreds of Americans during their 40 years of reign of terror," and added, "His death is a measure of justice for countless victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians." However, President Biden emphasized, "Ultimately, our goal is to ease the current conflict through diplomatic means in Gaza and Lebanon," and "It is time to reach ceasefire negotiations in Gaza and Lebanon."
The Italian government also issued a statement on the same day, affirming "the necessity to make every diplomatic effort to resume dialogue between the parties involved in the conflict," urging the international community to respond. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated, "We call for an immediate halt to Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon and condemn indiscriminate actions against civilians."
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