Halevi says Hezbollah must pay 'very high price' for joining Hamas war

Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi has said that Hezbollah must “pay a very high price” for its continued attacks on northern Israel.

“Hezbollah decided on October 7, in the evening, that it is joining. For that it must pay a very high price,” Halevi said during an assessment in northern Israel with the chief of the northern command and the commander of the 146th division.

Halevi added that the Israeli army is “taking the right steps” to enable some 80,000 Israelis displaced from communities near Lebanon’s border to return to their homes. He said that as a result of the Israeli army’s actions, “Hezbollah is no longer close to the fence.”

“I think that if we do the right thing, (the residents) will return first of all because of the security. To bring the people back here with security and quality of life, the state will know how to make an effort,” he added.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets at the 146th division’s base this afternoon. There were no damage or injuries according to Israeli media reports.

Since October 8, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire. At least 284 people have been killed on the Lebanese side since fighting erupted, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 44 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed according to the Israeli army.

The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has repeatedly warned that it might use bigger force against Hezbollah to secure its residents' return.