Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah 'wherever necessary': Netanyahu after hundreds killed in strikes on Lebanon

Netanyahu's remarks come as Israel's military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that Israel would continue targeting Hezbollah “wherever necessary.” The statement came hours after Israel launched what has been described as its deadliest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah escalated last month. 

The strikes hit densely populated commercial and residential areas in central Beirut, coming just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran. According to Reuters, the death toll stands at 250, while Associated Press reported 182 fatalities.

"We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination," Netanyahu said on his X account.

"Our message is clear: anyone who acts against Israeli civilians -- we will strike them. We will continue to hit Hezbollah wherever necessary, until we fully restore security to the residents of the north" of Israel, he added.

Israel’s military said it had killed a close aide to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, amid intensified strikes across Lebanon. “In Beirut, we eliminated Ali Youssef Kharshi, the personal secretary of Hezbollah terror organization Secretary-General Naim Qassem and one of the people closest to him,” read Netanyahu's post.

The post also said that, “At the same time, overnight, the IDF struck a series of terror infrastructures in southern Lebanon: crossings used to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and launchers, as well as weapons depots, launchers, and Hezbollah headquarters.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it had launched rockets at northern Israel overnight in response to what it described as "the enemy's violation of the ceasefire".

As tensions persist, diplomatic efforts are intensifying to extend the regional ceasefire to Lebanon, though both Israel and the United States maintain that the current truce does not apply to the country.