Israeli General threatens to reduce Hizbullah's posts 'to nothing'

Head of the Israeli Army Northern Command Amir Baram has threatened Hizbullah for "intensifying its military infrastructure near the border with Israel."

Amid rising tensions after Israel sent a rig at a disputed gas field, Baram said that Hizbullah will "pay the price" for intensifying its posts' construction along the border and that "all the infrastructure" will be destroyed and "reduced to nothing" by the Israeli army.

“We can see the operatives approaching the border. We know them, their names, where they come from and where they are working. When the time comes, they will pay the price,” he said.

Baram was speaking at an annual ceremony commemorating the Israeli soldiers who died in the 2006 war with Lebanon, a day after Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem threatened to use force against Israel’s activities in the disputed sea area.

"When the Lebanese state says that the Israelis are aggressing against our waters and our oil, then we are ready to do our part in terms of pressure, deterrence and use of appropriate means, including force," Qassem had said in an interview.

The Israeli army on Sunday had said it is preparing for a Hizbullah attack on the rig. It had held a major military exercise in Cyprus, simulating a ground offensive deep inside Lebanon in a potential war against Hizbullah, Israeli media reports said.